SMB: Torture
by WayWardWonderer
Summary: Not all pain is physical. Not all scars are visible. The same fire that melts ice hardens steel... Luigi has been kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured by Bowser. Mario must rescue his Brother and hope he survives the devastating injuries as a result of Bowser's wrath. Rescuing Luigi is only the beginning of Mario's most perilous quest as the idea of vengeance swells in his heart.
1. Broken

With a heavy heart Mario launched a powerful orange Fireball to break down the heavy metal door of the locked Dungeon in the deepest bowels of Bowser's Castle. The door burst forward with a shower of sparks and embers from its destroyed hinges and smashed against the stone wall inside the now aggressively opened cell, embedding itself into the cold, hard surface. Choking smoke filled the air as Mario stepped foot inside the Dungeon, his bright blue eyes focused on the lone occupant suspended from the ceiling by two black iron chains. Beneath the figure, where a dropped green cap lay, a puddle of blood blossomed like a crimson flower of death.

"No..." Mario approached the figure with his hand outstretched toward the injured, bleeding prisoner with bated breath. "Luigi."

The younger Brother was unconscious. Blood seeping from his mouth, nose and through the many cuts that marred his face. A massive gash over his left eye ensured that it would remained bruised and swollen shut.

Mario gently put his hand to the side of Luigi's face and felt how cold and clammy his skin had become. "Luigi?" Moving his hand down the side of Luigi's neck he checked for a pulse and found one. Weak. Slow. But still beating.

"I'm going to get you down, I promise!" Mario fought the tears that welled in his eyes as he examined the harsh and sturdy restraints that kept Luigi bound.

The chains that shackled Luigi's wrists cut deep into his flesh causing a steady stream of blood to flow down his arms, staining his white gloves red and his green shirt a sickly brown hue. The strain of Luigi's own body, the dead weight, was nearly pulling his arms out of his sockets, surely dislocating his shoulders as well.

Unable to reach the shackles to free Luigi, Mario had no choice but to find a way to lower the chains to the floor. Following the chains with his eyes Mario tracked the chains across the ceiling, to the far wall and to an attached switch. Rushing to the switch Mario flipped it downward and heard the clank of the chains dragging across the stone ceiling as the chains gradually lowered and went slack.

Mario returned to Luigi and used his hands to support Luigi's chest and upper torso as his body descended to the floor. From beneath his hands Mario could feel the broken ribs shifting in Luigi's chest and the warm blood that flowed from the three massive claw marks that had been raked across his chest, tearing the fabric of the green shirt into tatters.

Cradling Luigi's head against his shoulder and the rest of Luigi's bloodied, broken body across his lap Mario embraced his little brother in a hug of guilt and remorse. He pressed his ear to Luigi's chest and listened to the slow, weak and unnaturally quiet beating of Luigi's heart beneath his battered chest. Mario looked down at Luigi's face, his own face now stained and sticky with his innocent Brother's blood. "I'm so sorry Luigi..." Tears fell from Mario's eyes and mixed with Luigi's blood as they fell onto his bruised and pained face. "It should've been me!"

Mario ran his bloodied fingers through Luigi's matted, thick brown hair. "It should've been me..."

* * *

 _Two Days Earlier..._

Mario had returned home to the Mushroom Kingdom with Princess Peach at his side. The fair Princess had been called away to mediate peace talks between her Mushroom Kingdom and the neighboring Beanbean Kingdom. Mario had chosen to accompany Princess Peach on her journey to act her 'bodyguard' and to keep her company while away from her home.

Luigi, who was often left behind, insisted that Mario go alone with Peach to ensure her safety. After all, the peace talks would only take a day to handle; both Mario and Princess Peach would be back home in less than forty-eight hours.

"Weege, are you sure about this?" Mario asked with more concern than usual. "I mean, what if Bowser shows up?"

Luigi gave his brother a confident, reassuring thumbs up. "Relax, Bro! I've dealt with Bowser before. We both have! If something happens I'll handle it and if I can't take care of it by myself I know you'll be right there beside me!"

"Yeah, but..." Mario trailed off when the Royal Carriage; carted by two white horses and led by Toadsworth with Princess Peach waiting inside, pulled up in front of the brothers' home.

"Go! I know you don't like to leave the Mushroom Kingdom for too long, but everything will be fine."

The door to the carriage was opened by Toadsworth who cleared his throat as a means of gaining Mario's attention. "Ahem! We must be off!"

Luigi pushed Mario toward the opened carriage door. "Go on!"

Mario climbed inside and gave Luigi a sad look as he sat down across from the Princess.

Luigi nodded one last time as the door shut and carriage took off down the road. With a fond farewell Luigi proceeded to keep an eye on the activity in the Mushroom Kingdom for the rest of the beautiful afternoon and evening.

Looking back through the window Mario watched as Luigi disappeared from sight. "Luigi..."

"Mario?" Peach could sense and see that something was upsetting her dear friend. "What's wrong?"

"I... uh..." Mario turned away from the window to stare at the floor of the carriage guiltily. His hands folding together and wringing nervously. "I... shouldn't go!"

"What? Why not?" Peach put her hands over Mario's. "Mario, what's going on?!"

Mario retracted his hands from Peach's as he took off his red cap and pulled out an envelope that had been tucked inside. He opened the worn envelope and pulled out the folded letter within. "This showed up this morning." Mario began as he unfolded the letter to read. "It's from Bowser."

"Bowser?!" Peach was shocked and intrigued by the letter. "What does he say?"

Mario stared at the dark red ink on the tarnished gray paper for a moment before he began reading it aloud:

 ** _Mario,_**

 ** _Your wretched meddling has interfered with my plans to overthrow the Mushroom Kingdom for the final time! When you least expect I will strike and I will show no mercy. You will lose everything and I'm going to be the one to take it all away._**

 ** _You can't keep your Princess safe forever. I will come for you first, I will make you suffer and only after I've grown tired of listening to you beg for mercy will I end you! No one will be able to help you, anyone who tries will meet the same fate!  
_**

 ** _Watch your back._**

 ** _-Bowser, King of the Koopas_**

Mario bowed his head after he finished reading the horrid letter.

"How awful..." Peach put her hand back on Mario's. "No matter what happens, no matter what Bowser tries to do to us we will always persevere."

Her kind words offered little comfort to the visibly shaken hero. "He's going to attack Princess, he never bluffs. If he goes after the Mushroom Kingdom while I'm away..."

"Luigi can handle it!"

"But he shouldn't have to! _I'm_ the one Bowser wants!" Mario folded the letter back up and tucked it inside the envelope as he stuffed back inside his cap. "No one should have to face Bowser because of _me_."

"Mario," Peach knew there was something else weighing heavily on his mind. "there's something else going on, isn't there?"

Sighing with immense regret he looked up and locked eyes with the ever lovely Princess. "I... I never told Luigi about the letter! He has no idea that Bowser is out for blood." Mario's hands clenched into tight fists beneath Peach's hand. "I left my own Brother completely clueless about Bowser's threat..." His hand slipped sleep from Peach's as he rested his face in the palm of his hand. "I'm such a fool!"

"Mario, we can still turn back and warn-"

Toadsworth suddenly sped up the Royal Carriage, causing the two occupants to awkwardly fumble in their seats.

"Toadsworth!" Peach called to her ward and driver. "What's going on?"

"My dear Princess!" Toadsworth replied with a hasty shout. "I have just received a letter from Parakarry that the peace talks are beginning to break down! If we don't arrive before sundown the Beanbean Kingdom will declare war on the Mushroom Kingdom!"

Mario and Peach exchanged glances of fear that gripped their hearts. There was no turning back. Despite Mario's worry and love for his brother he knew deep down in his heart that the life of one person wasn't worth the countless lives lost during war.

"We must keep going," Mario admitted with defeat in his voice. "I'll send Luigi a letter warning him once we arrive."

* * *

Mario held the bleeding, dying form of his Brother in his arms. Luigi felt cold, the natural healthy color drained from his face save for the deep purple and yellow bruises. Mario watched as Luigi's broken chest weakly rose and fell with his increasingly shallow and struggling breaths. He could hear the sickening sound of blood gurgling in the back of Luigi's throat and mouth as his escaping breaths passed through the pooling blood.

"Luigi, I will save you. I _have_ to save you!" Mario tightened his grip on Luigi's body and held him closer to his chest. "I'll find a way..."

Looking around the Dungeon cell Mario saw no other exit than the door that he had broken down. It was then he saw two figures standing in the doorway, both had hammers in their hands. The duo approached the Mario Brothers slowly, their hammers secured in their strong grip.

"Whatever you're going to do to me," Mario closed his eyes and ran his fingers through Luigi's bloodied hair again. "I deserve."

 _ **..to be continued...**_


	2. Beaten

Cradling Luigi's broken body in his arms Mario awaited his turn to be beaten to a bloody pulp. The heavy footsteps of the two Hammer Bros. grew closer, echoing louder in the stone dungeon with each stride forward. Closing his eyes Mario braced himself for a blow to the back or the head but instead he felt a firm but non aggressive hand on his shoulder. Turning his head slightly he locked eyes with the blue shelled Hammer Brother.

"Mario," he began in a low, remorseful tone. "we're here to help Luigi." Gesturing with his eyes toward the second Koopa who had accompanied him to the Dungeon. "By 'we' I mean me and my kid Brother."

At a loss for words Mario could only stare blankly at the hammer wielding Koopa as he tightened his hug around Luigi's shoulders. He could feel how cold Luigi's body had become and the shallow breaths that he fought to take with each desperate inhalation. A part of him wanted to believe that if he could just hold Luigi tight enough he could some how keep Luigi alive, keep him from bleeding to death right before his eyes.

"I know you don't trust us, and for good reason, but I'm not lying. We want to help Luigi." Motioning for his partner to join him the two Hammer Bros. one in blue and the other in green, set a stretcher down on the dungeon floor next to Luigi's body. "Please. Let us help."

Glancing down at Luigi's beaten, swollen, bleeding face and stifling a guilt riddled sob. Taking Luigi's dropped and blood soaked cap from the cold Dungeon ground Mario slipped back on over Luigi's hair as he nodded in approval to the two Hammer Bros. "Do it. Please."

Carefully, using the gentlest of motions, the two Koopas gingerly lifted Luigi's broken body from Mario's arms and laid him down on the stretcher. The duo picked up the ends of the stretcher and with synchronized movement lifted Luigi up from the cold, hard ground. Mario stood up slowly, his legs weak and his heart heavy, as he chose to follow the two Koopas rather than lead.

It was eerily quiet as the unusual group walked through the melancholy, dark Castle. The acrid smell of sulfur from the lava pits and dust didn't even phase Mario as he intently watched Luigi's slow breathing as he was carted off on the stretcher. Exiting the ominous stone structure was uncharacteristically uneventful, not a single patrolling guard in sight.

Turning toward the Mushroom Kingdom, to the humble Toad Town that seemed impossible far away from the Dark Lands, Mario could only silently wish for Luigi's survival as the events leading to the kidnapping played over and over in his mind...

* * *

Mario and Toadsworth had escorted Princess Peach to the Audience Chamber in the heart of Beanbean Castle. Prince Peasley had greeted them warmly and shown them to the Conference Room where Queen Bean was impatiently waiting. Lady Lima, the Queen's ward, was stoic in her presence until she saw Toadsworth tagging along with Princess Peach.

"Ah, Princess Peach!" Lady Lima exclaimed with enthusiasm as she entered the room. "And Master Mario, so wonderful to see you both again." Blushing she looked at Toadsworth. "You've even brought the ever charming Toadsworth as well!"

Toadsworth blushed as well as he locked eyes with the intriguing Lady Lima for only a moment before fulfilling his role. "Your Majesty Queen Bean, allow me to re-introduce Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom and Master Mario." Turning back to Lima he graciously nodded. "Lady Lima, a pleasure as always."

Taking their seats at the conference table Peach and Mario were informed by Queen Bean of their intentions. The Beanbean Kingdom was ready to wage war against the Mushroom Kingdom in an attempt to stop Bowser from attempting a take over of either Kingdoms.

"A shame, really." Queen Bean admitted. "But if this is the only way to protect my people, then so be it!"

"Please, there must be another way!" Princess Peach begged. "Let's discuss a compromise..."

Mario had tuned out the diplomatic debate as his thoughts turned to Luigi. The very mention of Bowser's name was enough to turn Mario's stomach as the threatening letter was still stinging every fiber of his being. Discreetly Mario penned a letter, while taking notes on whatever 'key' words uttered between the two Royals to ensure a sense of interest. After he finished his letter, his warning to Luigi, Mario motioned for Toadsworth to take the letter and send it as soon as possible!

As the ward excused himself from the room Mario couldn't shake the feeling that he was too late. Some how in his heart he already knew that Luigi was in danger.

* * *

"Mario, should we keep walking into Toad Town, or let you take Luigi the rest of the way yourself?" The blue shelled Hammer Brother asked quietly as he and his twin came to a halt at the top of the grassy hill.

"Huh?" Mario came back to reality and quickly understood what was being asked. He put his hand lightly on Luigi's chest to feel for any sign of life. "Oh, if you two are walking with me no one will bother you. Let's go."

Finally taking the lead Mario escorted the helpful Hammer Bros. through the frightened town, as they carried Luigi on the stretcher. A brave Toad who had witnessed their arrival hurried to the hospital to inform the doctors and nurses about the situation and not to panic.

As soon as the Hammer Bros. stepped inside the entryway of the hospital two doctors and four nurses rush to the stretcher, focusing on Luigi's condition and ignoring the two out-of-place Koopas.

"Mario!" Dr. Toadley, who was Luigi and Mario's own personal physician, was tending to the downed man. "good gracious, what happened?!"

"I... I don't know..." He sadly confessed as he watched the swarm of medical personal caring for his injured Brother. "Bowser... He did this."

The green shelled Hammer Brother found the courage to speak up. "If it will help my Brother and I can tell you... everything."

Mario and the medical staff alike shuddered at the thought. Shaking his head Mario declined. "No. I can't... I can't bear to know!" He clenched his hands into tight fists and as he stared upward at the ceiling and shut his eyes so tight tears began streaming down his face. "It should've been me!"

A Toad nurse aided the tension with an alarming observation. "Doctor! He's turning blue, he can't breathe!"

"Quick!" Dr. Toadley resumed control of the situation. "Get the gurney over here, we need to move him into emergency O.R., now!"

The scene seemed to unfold in slow motion as Mario watched the gathered doctors and nurses lift Luigi's fragile, nearly lifeless body onto the gurney. As Luigi's limp form was lifted up his iconic green cap fell away from his head, once more revealing the blood matted hair beneath. Seeing his little Brother rolled away through two large double doors and out of sight was too surreal, if not entirely impossible, for Mario to accept.

In silent shock the two good-natured Hammer Bros. stood idle as they watched Mario comprehend the devastation.

"Luigi," Mario walked over to the dropped cap and picked it up. He held it tightly in both hands as the full weight of the dire situation hit him right in the heart. "please pull through. I need you to live. You're my little Brother..."

 _ **..to be continued...**_


	3. Scarred

The sound of ticking clock in the waiting room echoed with a solemn rhythm in nearly empty waiting room. Head hung low Mario sat in absolute silence as the guilt that ached his heart had seemingly taken his voice. With Luigi's bloodied cap in his hands all Mario could do was stare at the sickening red and brown stains that marred the green. Using one finger Mario traced the place where 'L' emblem in the center of the cap had been torn loose, and was now hanging merely by a thin line of green thread.

"Hanging by a thread..." Mario said out loud without realizing it. "just like Luigi."

The ache in his heart only intensified as the images of Luigi's broken body suspended in chains flashed through his mind like a sickening dream.

 _"I should've returned home sooner..."_ Mario internally continued to blame himself. _"I'm the one Bowser wanted. It should've been me who was taken..."_

Tears bean streaming down his face as he tightly shut his eyes in a futile attempt to block out the image from his own memory.

* * *

The negotiations between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Beanbean Kingdom mercilessly came to a close without war being declared. Anxious to return to the Mushroom Kingdom and to his endangered little Brother, Mario urged the Royal Carriage to race back across the border as fast as possible.

Toadsworth attempted to coax the horses that pulled the carriage to quicken their pace but the poor creatures were already putting in their full effort. The compassionate ward couldn't bring himself to push them any further. "I assure you Master Mario", he called from the driver's bench of the carriage. "we're returning with as much haste as these noble beasts can muster!"

Staring out the window intently Mario watched impatiently as the mountains and trees raced by the rocking carriage. His leg was shaking with anticipation as his mind, racing just as fast as the carriage, filled with dread.

"Mario," Prince Peach gently took his hands in her own and squeezed lightly. "everything will be okay in the end, you'll see."

Uncharacteristically Mario didn't reciprocate her affections and easily dismissed her reassurance. "We don't know that." He pulled his hands from hers as he began wringing them together in almost aggravated manner. "Bowser is crafty and low, he has no shame. Who knows what damage he's done in our absence."

"Don't forget that Luigi is just as loyal to the Mushroom Kingdom as you are, he'd never let Bowser-"

"Bowser didn't threaten the Kingdom!" Mario nearly spat in frustration. "He threatened _ME_." He stared at the Princess with a cold, almost accusing glare as his impatience began turning to anger. "He wants _ME_ , I'm not there but Luigi is! Who knows what horrible thing that demented lizard could have done to him..."

Shocked by Mario's sudden, if not frightening, outburst Peach sat in hurt silence, completely unable to look at someone she considered her dearest friend. "I'm sorry." She passively whispered under her breath.

Mario realized how cruel he had been, how he had been taking his anger out on Peach simply because she was the only person near him. "Peach I-"

The carriage came to an abrupt halt in the heart of Toad Town, adjacent to the green Warp Pipe that connected the humble town to the property of the brothers' pipe house.

"We've returned home!" Toadsworth announced. "Go on Master Mario! Confront that vile brute!"

Without another word Mario flung the door of the carriage wide open as he leapt from the compartment with vigor. Dashing to the pipe he easily dove inside the long tunnel way that connected to his modest home.

* * *

Unable to bear seeing Mario so broken down, so emotionally defeated, the blue shelled Hammer Bros. decided to take a seat next to the red clad hero and be a shoulder for him to lean on. "Mario, I know we would never see each other as friends or even allies, but I want to tell you about what happened to Luigi, if you'll permit me."

Mario looked away from the cap in hands or said a word. He gave a slow, reluctant, delayed nod of approval to hear about Luigi's imprisonment.

As a sign of respect the Hammer Brother removed his helmet and sat it on the chair next to himself. "When Bowser took him, Luigi that is, he was very... proud of himself."

Mario didn't react. Bowers's ego wasn't a foreign concept to the experience combatant.

"I- that is _WE_ ," the compassionate Koopa corrected himself nervously." my Brother and I were set to guard the cell while Bowser... went about his 'business' inside."

It was then the green shelled Hammer Bros. joined his Brother at his side, uttering not a word.

"It was a pretty routine assignment," blue shell tried to explain without sounding like a cold hearted monster. "guarding the prisoners is our primary responsibility."

Green shell hesitantly butted in. "But when we saw Bowser dragging in Luigi by the collar of his shirt we both knew that something... There was just something disgustingly cruel going on!"

Blue shell motioned with his hand for his Brother to calm down a little as he spoke on their behalf once more. "As many times as us Hammer Bros. have faced off with you Mario Bros. we never imagined ourselves kicking you while you were down or, just relentlessly..." He couldn't finish the sentence as the very thought was enough to disgust himself.

Mario listened to every word spoken like a lifeline. "Please, tell me the rest." His tone was mono and without emotion. "I must know."

Clearing his throat blue shell uncomfortably continued to tell Mario the gruesome moments of Luigi's imprisonment. "Bowser personally dragged Luigi through the Castle and into the dungeon. The poor guy was already beaten into unconsciousness and bleeding!" He paused for a moment to allow the bleak image to pass through Mario's mind steadily. "Bowser chained Luigi inside the cell, keeping him suspended off the ground. He waited for Luigi to regain consciousness before he... Before he 'started'."

Mario tightened his grip on Luigi's cap and flinched at the brutally honest reply.

"We were ordered to lock the cell door and keep guard. We... We could hear everything that happened inside that cell, even through the iron door and stone walls." Blue shell confessed mournfully. "Bowser roared, belched fire, slashed with his claws..." He stopped only to swallow the bitterness that was welling in his throat. "Only Heaven knows what else happened."

Green shell finished the story for his Brother. "But despite all the horrible things Bowser had done, all the pain he was mercilessly inflicting, Luigi never cried out."

Mario lifted his head, his eyes widening. "What do you mean he 'never cried out'?"

"He never gave Bowser the satisfaction of screaming in pain or showing any sign of weakness." He too slipped off his helmet in respect. "Even after Bowser began drilling him for information about your whereabouts he _never_ said a word. That's _why_ he was beaten so badly." Not wanting Mario to feel like a failure for not being there, he admitted as to why he and his own Brother decided to help Luigi. "That's when I realized that if Bowser could be so wicked, so unforgiving to someone as innocent as Luigi, what would happen to any of us who failed to meet his expectations?"

Blue shell found the courage to speak again. "I can't imagine how awful it would be to have my own little Brother chained up and tortured. That's when we decided to defect from Bowser's Kingdom and to rescue Luigi as we made our own escape."

"By the time we got back to the cell you had already arrived."

Mario shook his head in self anger. The anguish of being too late to stop Bowser before he took Luigi was still eating away at his conscience.

"For what it's worth I have a new found respect for him," Blue shell tagged on. "your Brother has a lot of Heart."

"Yes," Mario admitted with a faint glimmer of hope in his saddened blue eyes. "he does."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	4. Pain

Mario sat in silence in the waiting room with the two empathetic and reformed Hammer Bros. in the seats to his left and to his right. Seeing reformed Koopas, Goombas and other creatures who were commonly associated with Bowser's army wasn't unusual in Toad Town. Many of the brave creatures who dared to defy Bowser were welcomed in the humble Town and provided temporary shelters until they could find proper housing. As such the medical staff didn't hesitate to offer the Hammer Bros. the same comfortable accommodations as they did Mario.

Through the wide double doors of the entry way to emergency surgery Dr. Toadley emerged in light blue, blood stained scrubs. As he approached Mario he pulled the surgical mask down and away from his face, revealing his mouth which was frozen with a stoic, uncertain frown. "Mario?"

Throwing his head up, finally breaking his locked gaze with Luigi's tarnished cap held firm grasp, Mario locked eyes with the skilled doctor. Ignoring the blood stains that belonged to Luigi, Mario addressed the attending physician in a nearly hoarse voice. "Is he...?"

"He's alive." Dr. Toadley instinctively reassured the rightfully worried Brother and hero of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Mario breathed an immense sigh of relief as a solitary tear rolled down his cheek.

"But he's still in critical condition." Dr. Toadley folded his hands together. "He's lost a lot of blood and he'll need to be closely monitored closely for the next seventy-two hours. If he survives the first twenty-four then I believe he has a strong chance of recovery."

"Twenty-four hours..." Mario repeated with a heavy tone.

Taking a seat in the chair across from Mario Dr. Toadley went into greater detail about Luigi's injuries. Mario was able to understand every word uttered but a part of him refused to listen about the horrendous pain that Luigi had surely felt during the torture and would undoubtedly feel again if he ever woke up.

Broken ribs, punctured lung, internal bleeding, concussion, fractured orbit, both wrists fractured and sprained, dislocated shoulder, dislocated knee... All the wounds, all the pain taunted Mario as the memory of seeing Luigi suspended in chains tore at his heart. The smell of blood, the coldness of Luigi's battered, struggling body wrapped up in his arms, it was too much.

Burying his face in his hands and against Luigi's cap Mario began silently weeping for his downed Brother. Unheard sobs wracked his body as he finally let out the incredible pain he had been holding back

As an act of respect the two Hammer Bros. replaced their helmets and quietly left the waiting room, giving Mario a sense of privacy while Dr. Toadley sat with him. The ticking of the clock seemed impossible loud in the nearly empty room that was filled only with pain and regret.

* * *

Leaping out of the Warp Pipe on the small property of the Pipe House, Mario was greeted with the remains of a brutal fight in the small house he and Luigi called home.

The grass was charred by brief but intense fire, the front door had broken down by a powerful blast, the two front windows were shattered leaving bits of glass all over the front room and porch. An unusually cold wind blew through the property causing the damaged door to bang heavily against the wall on its damaged hinges.

"Luigi?!" Mario called for his Brother but his only response was ominous silence. "Luigi! Where are you?"

Running up the porch and into the house Mario saw even more damage inside. All of the furniture had been overturned and much of it broken. The power had been knocked out, leaving the humble structure without electricity. Mario had attempted to turn on the lights with the wall switch on the wall but the house remained dark.

"Luigi?" He called out again, hoping that maybe Luigi was somewhere in the house. "Answer me!"

Howling wind stirred up the smell of smoke and ash from the grass outside, as it made the curtains near the window billow like waves on the ocean.

Stepping deeper into the house Mario heard the soles of his strong boots echoing through the vacated house after each step made contact with the bare wood floors. Creaking boards and grinding glass accompanied each step as he opened the door to the basement. Calling out down the dark staircase for Luigi the same response of silence tormented him.

Walking next toward the staircase leading to the second floor Mario felt something grind under his boot and additional glass break. Looking down Mario realized that during the unseen battle inside the house a framed photograph had been knocked to the floor, and Mario had stepped on the dropped item. Turning the frame over with his hand Mario saw the photo under the broken glass was of himself and Luigi as babies.

"Luigi..." Mario pulled the photo from the damaged frame and stared at it sadly. "Brother."

As reality set in and Mario realized that he was too late, that Bowser had attacked Luigi, he knew he had only one choice. In order to save Luigi Mario had to venture across the Dark Lands and infiltrate Bowser's Castle. Alone.

Tucking the photograph into his overall pocket Mario bolted from the heavily damaged house and headed toward the darkness on the horizon...

* * *

Standing outside of the room in the I.C.U. where Luigi had been taken, Mario pressed the blood stained palm of his hand against the window as he leaned against the glass, and stared at his unconscious Brother laying on the bed.

Luigi was deathly pale, heavily bruised and seemed impossibly still as he laid helplessly, alone. His entire upper body had been wrapped in thick, clean white bandages. Mario could see that Luigi's wrists were wrapped up in the same white bandages. The side of Luigi's face had a white bandage shielding his damaged eye and a metal brace held his dislocated knee in place beneath the blue blanket that was lightly draped over him.

A heart monitor beeped in a slow rhythm in perfect synchronization with Luigi's strong, unbreakable heart. A respirator moved at its own pace as it forced the much needed oxygen into Luigi's lungs, his own body too broken to breathe on his own. Several I.V.'s were running blood and other much needed fluids into his body through tubes inserted into the veins in both arms.

As much as Mario wanted to rush into the room and embrace Luigi, he couldn't withstand the horrific sight of his Brother's current condition. Instead Mario stood vigil outside of the room, watching the many doctors and nurses who walked in and out of the room as they continuously monitored his condition. In turn the doctors would perform the same routine: Check the I.V's, check Luigi's one good eye with the penlight and use a stethoscope to listen to Luigi's broken chest.

With each proceeding check-up Mario grimly waited for the doctors to announce a 'Code Blue', to begin C.P.R., or waited for the heart monitor to let out a single long screech indicating that Luigi's heart had given out and stopped beating...

Unable to bear the atrocity any longer Mario shut his eyes in attempt to will the pain away. Left alone with his own bleak thoughts the sting of failure to protect Luigi returned with unbridled rage: ' _I'm a failure.' 'I'm responsible.' 'Blood, so much blood.' 'Luigi was left alone.' Why did I leave him alone?' 'Coward! I'm a pathetic coward. If I can't protect my own Brother how can I protect anyone else? His death will be my fault.'_

"Mario?" The sweet voice of Princess Peach pulled him back into the waking world as she gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "H-how... How is Luigi?"

Choking back a painful sob Mario straightened up as he forced himself to answer with the only truth he knew. "Alive." He sighed wearily. "He's alive." Turning to face Peach Mario fell to his knees onto the cold floor and sobbed defeatedly into his hands. "My Brother is alive!" He repeated between his heart wrenching sobs.

Peach without hesitation kneeled down on the floor in front of Mario and pulled him close to her. She wrapped one arm around his shoulder in a tight and hug and with her opposite hand she gently ran her fingers through Mario's hair as he rested his tired head against her shoulder. He continued to bawl, his whole body shaking with each sob. She held him even tighter, feeling the intense sorrow that radiated from his entire body.

"It's alright," Peach quietly whispered into his ear as she cradled him in loving arms. "let it out. Just let it all out..."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	5. Strength

Peach held Mario in her arms while he wept tears of grief, guilt, regret and pain that seemed to flow directly from his heart. The duo kneeled together on the floor in a tight embrace as the full weight of the seriousness of the situation truly sank in. The pain that the two Brothers felt, the pain that ached Mario's heart and the physical pain that wracked Luigi's body, was palpable to those closest to the heroic Brothers. Peach herself struggled to keep her own tears at bay as she focused on supporting Mario during his darkest hour. Tending to her own grief, her own pain, would have to wait.

"Sh," Peach continued to gently soothe as she held Mario even tighter. "be patient. Luigi strong. You know that better than anybody else ever will."

Mario leaned back from Peach, lifting his head from her shoulder and taking a deep breath. Using the back of his hand he wiped away the tears that were running down his face. "I know," he admitted through a final sob. "but it's my fault. I should've stayed behind to protect him. He's my Brother, my _little_ Brother! I'm the _big_ Brother, I'm supposed to look out for him. Protect him..."

"No, Mario." Peach softly shook her head. "You're just Brothers. You're supposed to look after _each other_." Putting her hand under his chin she lifted his head until their eyes were level and locked. "If it was you laying in that hospital bed, you who had been attacked by Bowser, would you want Luigi blaming himself for what happened?"

Mario looked away for a moment and returned his gaze to Peach. "No..." He admitted solemnly. "It'd break my heart to see him like that."

"And you think he'd want you to blaming yourself for what happened to him?"

"I-" Before Mario could answer a loud alarm began sounding off, distracting the guilt riddled hero.

From Luigi's room Dr. Toadley was leaning over Luigi's bed performing C.P.R. on the horrifically injured Brother. "Code Blue!"

As a rush of nurses and other doctors filled the hospital room Mario tentatively stood up on shaking legs and approached the window that allowed him to witness the lifesaving efforts that were being performed on his Brother. Putting a blood stained palm against the transparent surface Mario gazed without blinking into the room, his eyes fixed on every move the doctors made.

Dr. Toadley was compressing Luigi's chest rhythmically, his fingers interlaced together as he attempted to get Luigi's stilled heart to start beating once again. A nurse was using a blue ambu-bag to force the much needed oxygen into Luigi's lungs as Dr. Toadley worked. Another doctor injected some kind of stimulant with a syringe directly into Luigi's heart while Dr. Toadley took a moment to catch his own breath and study the monitor which displayed Luigi's vital signs.

"I have a pulse!" A nurse announced.

Dr. Toadley took a listen to Luigi's heart with his stethoscope and studied the heart monitor. "Irregular heartbeat, we need to defibrillate!"

A nurse began cutting away the white gauze bandages that had been wrapped around Luigi's chest and torso to cover his serious injures and keep them clean. Even through the distant window Mario could see the painful bruises, swelling and hundreds of stitches required to close the devastating lacerations left behind from Bowser's assault.

Slowly Mario's palm, which was planted against the smooth glass, began curling into an tight fist. Peach, who had silently joined Mario at the window gently reach over and took his free hand, which was hanging at his side and still clutching Luigi's green cap. As soon as her hand met his he instinctively squeezed, needing both the emotional and physical support that could only be delivered by the touch of a loved one.

"Come on Luigi..." Mario begged barely above an audible whisper. "You can do this, fight! You're strong! Please fight!"

Dr. Toadley continued to call the shots and maintain control. "Clear!"

The haunting familiar sound of a defibrillator charging up and letting loose its life saving jolt buzzed in Mario's ears. The motion of Luigi's body jerking and arching upward from the bed as the powerful surge traveled through his heart was enough to make Mario nauseous.

From inside the room the heart monitor let out a single loud beep, followed by a second slow beep.

"He's back!" Dr. Toadley announced as he pulled his stethoscope from Luigi's chest. "We got him."

Mario's tense shoulders shrugged as a wave of relief washed over him. "He did it. Way to go, Bro."

Peach wrapped her arms around Mario and hugged him while he continued to stare through the window. To stare past the doctors and nurses, focusing only on Luigi's prone form as he laid unconscious and bandaged in the bed.

Satisfied that Luigi was stable Dr. Toadley left the room to speak with Mario. The other doctors and nurses were tending to Luigi, redressing his injuries and restoring the respirator as they attempted to make the broken, unconscious man as comfortable as possible.

"Mario," Dr. Toadley addressed the worried hero with a calmed tone. "he's stable."

Unable to look away from the window Mario only nodded to acknowledge the skilled doctor.

"He's still comatose and may be for quite some time. Between the severity of his injuries and the significant blood loss I'd expect him to remain unconscious for at least two days."

Mario didn't break his silence.

"But with the concussion and required anesthesia he'll be unconscious for even longer."

Peach could feel the tension in Mario's hand and the fiery hate radiating from his body. She squeezed his hand again as she now spoke to the doctor. "But he will wake up, right Dr. Toadley?"

The doctor's years of experience told him to never make a guarantee and reminded him that even the strongest of bodies grow weak over time, giving up. But from the look in Princess Peach's eyes he knew had had to say something to restore the waning hope of both herself and Mario. "I'm certain he'll wake up sooner than later." He softly responded. "We just need to be patient."

Peach sighed with relief as she too turned to look through the window. "Thank you, doctor."

Without another word Dr. Toadley strolled down the long corridor and into another patient's room. Standing alone outside the window to the room of the only patient they cared about, Mario and Peach continued to hold hands in absolute silence.

* * *

Rushing across the eerily vacant and barren landscape of the Dark Lands Mario easily gained access to, and navigated the large Castle seated in the heart of the foreboding territory.

Fearlessly Mario wove his way through the labyrinthine stone corridors, descending further into the Castle. Reaching the lowest floor in the deepest chambers of the Castle Mario stood outside the massive iron door of the locked cell in the Dungeon.

"Luigi!"

Mario knew that Luigi was behind the door, but even in his worst nightmares he was unprepared for the truly horrid sight that was waiting for him behind the sealed door...

* * *

The day continued on without further incident. Luigi remained in stable condition while flowers, cards and balloons began gathering in Luigi's room. The denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom and of the neighboring Beanbean Kingdom had heard of Bowser's atrocious attack against the often unsung heroic Brother and offered the gifts as a sign of respect and hope for his speedy recovery.

With a little coaxing Peach was able to convince Mario to finally enter Luigi's room and take a seat next to the bed. Mario's guilt kept him from staying at his Brother's side. He was still convinced that everything that happened to Luigi was his fault and that he had no business being in the same room as his victimized Brother.

Hesitantly and gently Mario slowly laid his hand on top of Luigi's ungloved hand, mindful of the fractured bones in Luigi's wrists. Mario shuddered as he felt how cold Luigi's skin still was, even after being treated and bandaged. The I.V.'s and wires that snaked over his body, the slow beeping heart monitor and pumping respirator only served as a grim reminder to how close Luigi had come to death just hours before.

"Luigi, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Mario's voice was almost begging for any reaction from the comatose man. "It's my fault! I'm the one Bowser wanted, not you! If I had just dealt with him sooner..."

Unable to contain his regret and longer Mario bowed his head on the bed, resting next to Luigi's arm.

"I promise you Luigi, right here and now, I will make this up to you." He placed Luigi's battered cap on the bed, just beneath Luigi's fingertips. "I'm going to do it, I'm going to do the only thing that will ever make this right..."

Mario stood up slowly and took one last look at Luigi's bruised, but still somehow peaceful, face before turning and walking toward the opened door. He paused in the door frame, one hand supporting his weight as he leaned into it. "I'm going to kill Bowser."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	6. Blood

The entire hospital gave a strange energy that was palpable to all of those who entered the building of mercy. Patients were admitted and checked out at a steady, consistent pace. Some patients were admitted in great pain and released with their pain relieved, others weren't so fortunate. Joyous laughter and mournful tears filled the hospital with a paradoxical wave of emotion as no two cases were the same.

Princess Peach was sitting in the waiting room with Toadsworth, who was nervously twiddling his thumbs together as he sat in stunned silence. Peach discreetly watched as the skilled doctors and nurses strolled through the corridors with clipboards in their hands or patients at their sides. Dr. Toadley, who was in charge of Luigi's current case, approached the concerned Princess and her Ward with a faint grimace.

"Your Highness," the doctor courteously greeted the royal guest. "I have an update on Luigi's condition. Where is Mario?"

"Mario?" Peach was genuinely surprised that the good doctor couldn't locate him. "Isn't he with Luigi?"

Dr. Toadley shook his head 'no'. "Luigi has just been wheeled into x-ray and Mario wasn't in the room. I thought you knew where he may have gone."

Peach instinctively hid her concern as she tried to keep her attention on Luigi. "I'm sure he'll turn up." She glanced over her shoulder to Toadsworth who easily read her gaze. "How is Luigi?" She continued. "Is he showing any sign of improvement?"

Sighing Dr. Toadley began explaining Luigi's progress. "He's still unconscious and his heart rate and blood pressure are still low. After performing C.P.R. several more fractures to his ribs have been detected." Before Peach had a chance to react he continued the explanation. "I assure you that rib fractures are not uncommon when C.P.R. is performed, and with the previous injures to his ribs weakening his entire rib cage the additional fractures were anticipated."

"Oh dear, poor Luigi..." Peach sympathized.

"Now, I understand that Mario is his only family, but is there anyone else he's close to that should be... notified?"

"Notified?" Peach's heart skipped a beat when the question was asked. "What about?"

With a heavy heart Dr. Toadley gave the bleak answer. "In the event that Luigi... If he doesn't recover, do we know what his wishes are along the lines of a living will?"

Peach felt her legs begin to shake with fear, understanding what Dr. Toadley was referring to. "You mean... He could die?"

"Sadly, yes. I'm afraid that Luigi's body is simply too weak to heal from the severity of his injuries. I recommend Mario and anyone else close to Luigi come to the hospital immediately to say... Well, to say goodbye."

Toadsworth laid his hand over Peach's as he politely nodded at Dr. Toadley. "Thank you, doctor. We shall tend to Master Luigi's affairs."

Turning to her Ward with tears in her eyes Peach was at a loss for words.

"Now, now." Toadsworth wiped the tears from her eyes with a gentle touch. "Everything will be alright. As knowledgeable as Dr. Toadley is with medicine, he doesn't know our dear Luigi as much as we do."

Peach forced herself to smile just a little.

"Luigi won't give up on us, just as Mario will never give up on Luigi, and just you nor I would ever give up on Mario. Keep your chin up, everything will work out."

Peach nodded subtly. "Toadsworth, do you know when Princess Daisy will arrive?"

"She left as soon as she was informed of Luigi's condition. I believe she will arrive within the hour, the Sarasaland border is quite the distance from our own, after all."

"Which just leaves Mario. Where could he have gone?"

* * *

Standing on the border to the Dark Lands a swift wind picked up, blowing a warm, dry breeze across the land. Mario stared without focusing at the darkness that kept the barren terrain enshrouded in mystery. The smell of sulfur and brimstone from the flowing lava moats left an acrid taste in the revenge driven hero's mouth.

"Bowser..." The name of his enemy only made the taste worse, almost nauseating.

His hands clenched into tight fists, the dried blood from Luigi's broken body staining the formerly white gloves a gruesome shade of reddish brown. Mario's white knuckled fists steadily grew hotter and hotter as he gift of the 'Fire Brand' surfaced, creating a small ember in the closed off palms of his hands.

"Mario!" The blue shelled Hammer Brother ran toward the red-clad hero with his green shelled brother following. "What are you doing here?!"

Turning to look at the reformed Koopas over his shoulder Mario gave only a single word. "Revenge."

"Y-you... What?" The Koopa was in shock. Mario was not a man of vengeance. "B-but..."

"You can't!" The green shelled Hammer Brother spoke up. "If you attack Bowser-"

"He attacked _Luigi_. My Brother. My blood..." Mario looked at his ruined gloves and felt the fire in his heart reignite. "He must be ended..."

* * *

Luigi had been returned to his room and was resting peacefully with Princess Peach and now Princess Daisy at his side. Unable to find her voice Daisy simply took a seat next to the bed and put both of her hands atop of his. Like Mario, Daisy was discomforted by how cold Luigi's hand felt beneath her own. It didn't seem possible for someone who was still living to feel so cold and lay so still. Looking toward the heart monitor Daisy watched the small line synchronize with Luigi's still beating heart and used it as her little reminder that the man she loved still lived.

"Daisy," Peach took a small cup of tea and left it on the table next to the bed. "is there anything I can do?"

"No." Daisy whispered, a part of her desperate to believe that Luigi was only sleeping. "Thank you. You've done more than enough."

Daisy closed her eyes and bowed her head as she too was struck by the full weight of the situation. The smell of the hospital was potent and pulled grim memories to the surface. It was from another hospital bed that Daisy had last seen her own Mother, and now the man she loved more than anyone seemed to be nothing more than a taunting reflection of that dire day so long ago...

"Please, wake up." She asked quietly so that only he could hear her voice. "I still need you. Mario still needs you. Don't leave us. Not yet."

Peach could feel Daisy's heart breaking and stealthily excused herself to let the couple be together in private. As she closed the door behind her she spied Toadsworth hurrying down the corridor toward her. "Toadsworth, has something happened? Did you find Mario?"

In a huff Toadsworth stopped in front of the Princess and composed himself. "Your Highness, the two Hammer Bros. who aided Masters Mario and Luigi had seen Mario returning to the Dark Lands!"

"What?!" Peach now knew deep in her heart that Mario was going after Bowser. "We have to stop him!"

"The two helpful Hammer Bros. have gone in pursuit of our wayward hero. If there is anyone in the Mushroom Kingdom who is capable of traversing the Dark Lands without fail, it is our newly reformed Koopas. I'm sure of it."

Peach, feeling helpless, wrapped her arms around herself tightly as she glanced through the window of the closed door and watched Daisy holding Luigi's hand. "I just hope they can find Mario before it's too late."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	7. Red

Without further protest or objection the two Hammer Bros. followed Mario closely as the red-clad hero easily maneuvered across the barren landscape. The endlessly flowing lava moats, rocky pathways, deep drops, massive gorges, towering mountains and patrolling Dry Bones weren't enough to deter Mario from his quest to end Bowser's reign of terror once and for all. This was the night he would take his final stand against the reptilian tyrant. Failure was not an option.

Setting worn boot onto the first iron plank of the extended drawbridge leading into Bowser's Castle, Mario stood firm and drew his gaze ever upwards taking in the intimidating sight that was the Castle of Bowser.

"Mario?" The blue shelled Hammer Brother stood a few paces behind Mario. "We can't stop you, and we won't even try. But please, think this through!"

Silently Mario glanced at the two Hammer Bros. who had followed him through the Dark Land.

"Think of how this will affect everything!" The green shelled Brother tagged on. "We know Bowser is cruel and deserves any punishment you can deal out, but... If you take his life then-" Unwilling to finish his statement he chose to only bow his head in sympathy as he became quiet.

Unphased by the reformed Hammer Bros. pleas Mario returned his gaze to the Castle. Just as the sun in the distance had finally set a flash of lightning and the roar of thunder cracked across the land, illuminating the stone structure in eerie light. At the very top of the Castle, perched atop the peak of the highest tower, the familiar form of Bowser stood idle as he watched over his desolate Kingdom.

"Tonight," Mario looked down at his dirtied, blood stained hands one last time. "everything changes."

Rain fell in slow, cold drops onto the hero's bold form as he crossed the bridge.

* * *

The storm that had begun dousing the Dark Lands in a summer time rain had reached the border to the Mushroom Kingdom. The air was cooler and smelled of fresh rain as the storm steadily approached the hospital. Small drops of rain spotted the windows and brief flashes of lightning shone through, casting unsettling shadows throughout the building.

"Allow me, Princess Daisy." Toadsworth walked over the large window and pulled the dark curtains shut. "Let's not have a storm inside the hospital."

Daisy nodded appreciatively as the seasoned Ward smiled warmly. "Thank you Toadsworth." She kept her hand on top of Luigi's as she watched him continue to lay helplessly in the bed. "I wonder if the storm would help wake Luigi?"

His smile fading Toadsworth stood at the young Princesses side. "I fear a storm wouldn't be enough to rouse Master Luigi from his sleep on this night." Placing a warm hand on her shoulder he offered one final piece of comfort. "But no man can sleep forever, my dear. Just give him time."

Luigi seemed disturbingly like a corpse as he remained unconscious and unmoving in the bed. The heart monitor beeped slowly in perfect synchronization with his own heart as it continued to beat inside his broken chest. The respirator forced his weak and injured lungs to take in the breaths of oxygen he so desperately needed, providing a low hum to the otherwise stagnant beeping sound. Snaking I.V. tubes of blood, fluids, antibiotics and painkillers ran all over Luigi's body, almost like he had fallen into some kind of morbid trap.

"I just hate seeing him like this..." Daisy delicately ran her hand down the side of his face that wasn't covered in bandages. "He has the most beautiful blue eyes, I wish I could look into them again."

A soft knocking at the partially opened door drew the attention from Luigi and to the visitor. A female Toad Nurse, one with a dark pink cap and light purple spots walked into the room holding a small, white cardboard box in her hands. "Excuse me, but I have some of Luigi's personal affects."

"Oh?" Daisy was surprised to see the Nurse with the box of Luigi's things, as it was unusual for the hospital staff to transport such items. "Is there a problem?"

"Goodness, no." The Nurse honestly replied. "It's just hospital policy to keep each patient's personal belongings with the correct patient."

"All of his things are tucked inside that one small box?" Daisy asked inquisitively.

She gave an awkward smirk as she answered. "His clothing was already in tatters when the doctor cut them off, we had to toss them. The rest of his things are... I'll just place this in the drawer in the table." The Nurse was obviously uncomfortable talking about it, as she too was fond of the heroic Mario Bros.

"No, I'll take them." Daisy offered with a smile. "Please."

Trusting in the good Princesses integrity the Nurse handed her the box and quietly took her leave.

Setting the box on her lap Daisy opened the lid and peered inside. Luigi's very worn, but somehow still intact, boots were in the middle of the box. Tucked inside one of the boots was a leather strapped watch, with its glass face cracked and the battery dead. Inside the opposite boot was a blood stained piece of paper that was folded into a rectangular shape.

Taking the watch out of the boot Daisy noted the time on the now stopped watch as it sat in the palm of her hand. "Two minutes past nine..."

Toadsworth did the math in his head. Between the time Luigi's watch stopped and Mario's return to the Mushroom Kingdom almost seventeen hours had passed. _'By Jove,'_ Toadsworth thought to himself. _'in less than a day Bowser managed to do all this chaos, to create so much pain... And for what?'_

Placing the watch back inside the box Daisy then removed the paper. "What's this?" She unfolded the paper carefully to examine its printed content. As she read the words on the paper she felt more tears welling up in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Luigi... "

Princess Peach walked inside the room, her own tears welling up in her eyes and threatening to fall at any minute. "How is Luigi?" She asked, trying to avoid eye contact as she stood beside Daisy, opposite of Toadsworth.

"Peach," Daisy knew something was wrong and needed to know. She folded the paper back up and slipped it inside the box. "what's happening? Where's Mario?"

* * *

Alone Mario infiltrated the massive Castle. Unwilling to risk anyone else getting harmed, or killed, he chose to face Bowser by himself. The two Hammer Bros. couldn't bring themselves to follow, even if he would've allowed it. As much as they despised their former King, the duo weren't brave enough or ready to face the powerful Koopa in battle. Standing guard outside the Castle's drawbridge the Brothers waited either for Mario to return in one piece, or for his broken body to be carted outside...

Scaling the spiraling staircase centered in the Tower, Mario fearlessly ran to the top and pushed open the hatch leading to exterior roof. Standing on top of the Tower in the now pouring rain in the dark night, Mario produced a fireball in the palm of his right hand while his left hand took a firm grip on the stone fixtures attached to the roof.

"Bowser!" Mario called out, the howling wind of the storm suddenly picking up with a violent gust as his echoed across the Dark Lands. "Face me!"

In the distance from the neighboring Tower, enshrouded in darkness a wicked laugh responded to Mario's demand. Stepping out of the shadow just enough for his face to be illuminated by the orange glow of the flowing lava far, far below, Bowser's sinister grin shined brightly against the black sky.

"You've finally arrived." Bowser taunted as another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky above. "Alone? Where's your Brother?"

At those words Mario saw only a flash of red as he threw his fireball with all his strength directly into Bowser's ugly face. The powerful Koopa King was able to put his strong hand up in time to block the attack, suffering not even a scratch from the burning projectile.

"Pitiful." Bowser callously remarked as stepped further away from his concealing shadows. "Just like _Luigi._ "

The rage that was slowly eating away at Mario's heart had found the core. Nothing but unparalleled hatred and unbridled anger filled his heart on that storm worn Tower.

"You'll pay!" Mario declared as he leapt from his Tower to the next where Bowser stood unflinching, still half bathed in the shadow.

His garnet eyes locked onto Mario's blue eyes. Bowser not only side stepped Mario's landing, but managed to jump from the Tower to the long bridge-like rampart of the Castle's main structure without breaking a sweat.

"You want me?" Bower taunted vilely. "Come get me!"

Glaring as Bowser, his heart aching with a burning pain, Mario leapt from the Tower to the rampart in pursuit of his target. As he made his perilous leap Mario's body became engulfed in an aura of red fire. The cold rain touching the incredibly hot aura evaporated instantly creating a cloud of steam and vapor that surrounded Mario in an ethereal white colored fog.

"I'm right here..." Mario nearly spat with an animalistic snarl. "This ends now."

Sneering with a sickening amusement Bowser took a fighting stance, one claw raised high over his head and the other at his side ready to slash at anyone or anything who came too close to his form.

Creating another fireball in his hand Mario took no notice of the intensity of his aura turning the fireball from its usual orange-red color to white as the heat increased dramatically.

The storm raged on. Wind blew loudly in all directions stirring up dust and ash from the nearby volcanoes. The stone roof top of the Castle was now littered with many slick spots and cold rain puddles, making movement a cumbersome task. Deafening thunder and blinding lightning only burdened the grief stricken heroes quest for revenge that much further.

"This will be interesting." Bowser continued to torment Mario with his cold words. "Perhaps you'll put up a more challenging fight than that worthless Brother of yours."

Mario's anger and hatred reached its peak. Charging at Bowser with an aura as fire to protect him, Mario was intent on spilling first blood in this battle. The final battle between Super Mario and King Bowser.

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	8. Choices

At the hospital Princess Peach, Princess Daisy and Toadsworth all kept vigil over Luigi through the window to his room. Dr. Toadley and two nurses had requested that the group leave while they tended to changing Luigi's bandages and giving him a quick exam.

Outside the storm was still raging, giving the entire building a cold, eerie feeling. Many of the hospital visitors had left for the night leaving the corridors and waiting room deserted. The lack of activity only intensified the sensation of unnaturally quiet gloom and despair for the remaining visitors who refused to leave the hospital for the night.

Daisy watched intently as Dr. Toadley nodded in approval from the window. "Oh, good. Looks like everything is okay." She exhaled quickly as the vice around her heart finally released. "Luigi is still okay."

Peach put her hand on Daisy's arm lightly as she joined her at the window. "Yeah. I guess being patient really is paying off."

Toadsworth agreed with a slight chuckle. "Well done, Master Luigi. If any good comes from his horrid night it's that my dear Princesses have finally learned the value of patience."

The two princesses looked at the Ward with reserved humor as Dr. Toadley exited Luigi's room with the two nurses following.

"Doctor?" Daisy stopped him as he closed the door behind himself. "How's Luigi?"

"Well, he's holding his own." Dr. Toadley replied with a confident tone. "He's stable and showing signs of improvement. No infection, no negative reaction to any medication and his heart rate is strong."

Daisy blushed a little at the comment. "I already know about his strong heart."

Smiling Dr. Toadley continued. "And, here's some more good news. Tomorrow morning, if everything keeps on this steady track of improvement, I will take him off the respirator. He should be strong enough to breathe without assistance."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Daisy nearly gushed as the much needed positive news restored her sense of hope. "Can I see him now?"

"Go right in." Dr. Toadley politely held the door open for her. "Stay as long as you like."

The sound of the heart monitor was now just white noise to the friends who watched over Luigi as he remained unconscious in his room.

Taking her seat in the chair by Luigi's bed she put her hand over his and felt immense relief as the icy coldness in his hand had finally been replaced by natural warmth. Looking at Luigi's face Daisy gently ran her hand down his cheek, careful of the bandage over his injured eye. His complexion looked much healthier. He was still pale but no longer deathly gray.

"Come on Luigi, wake up." Daisy then ran her fingers through the messy thick locks of his brown hair. "I miss you. So does Mario."

* * *

Atop the stone roof of Bowser's Castle the two combatants raged on in flurry of fire that glowed ominously against the night's stormy sky. As the rain poured down, creating a slick surface beneath the dueling sworn enemies' feet, the extravagant and powerful attacks steadily began losing both grace and accuracy; but never losing energy. Red and orange sparks fell from the roof in small ember showers that faded quickly as the heat of the fire was cooled by the relentless rain and howling wind.

Far below at the drawbridge connecting the Castle Gate to the rest of the Dark Lands, a group of onlookers gathered and quickly grew en mass. The two Hammer Bros. were surrounded by many of their former colleagues, all of whom remained unaware of their desertion from Bowser's army. Koopas, ParaKoopas, Goombas, Lakitus, Dry Bones and Spike Tops looked to the dark sky, looked to the roof of the Castle in silent awe at the battle that raged overhead.

With a heavy 'thud' Mario landed hard on his back, sliding across the roof from the powerful toss courtesy of Bowser. Mario felt his breath forced from his lungs in a single rush as the impact winded him with little effort.

"Give it up!" Bowser nearly panted with masked exhaustion as he took a few steps toward the downed hero, yellow lightning flashing in the black sky behind him. "You'll never defeat me."

Forcing himself up from his back and into a kneeling position, Mario wrapped one arm around his chest as he desperately took in a deep breath and steadied himself. He stared into Bowser's cold, heartless glowing eyes and knew that the reptile was without mercy, without empathy, without a single redeeming quality worthy of forgiveness.

Standing up on his shaky legs Mario adjusted his rain soaked cap lower over his eyes in an attempt to hide his own building fatigue and pain. "I'm not here to _'defeat'_ you." Mario replied in a near hoarse voice. "I'm here to _end_ you!"

Bowser sneered at the threat belched out a massive wave of orange flames in Mario's direction.

Reigniting his own fire power Mario leapt over the rush of flames, cloaked in his white aura of fire and vapor. Focusing on Bowser's chest Mario unleashed a massive fireball that managed to knock the Koopa King off balance.

Putting up his arms in an attempt to deflect the incoming attack Bowser was pushed backward on his feet, the long claws at the ends of his toes tearing into the stone as his tremendous weight struggled to keep his body planted in place.

Before Bowser had a chance to react Mario unleashed a second fireball, just as powerful as the first, and pushed Bowser backward even further. Just as before Bowser struggled to keep his balance but was unable to deflect the powerful attack as he slid backward on the slippery stone roof.

Focusing all his energy into his fire Mario's aura faded into the palm of his hand as he unleashed a third fireball which found its mark against Bowser. Landing on the roof with controlled drop Mario watched as Bowser slid backward a third time, quickly approaching the edge of the roof.

"WHOA!" Bowser cried out as his massive body slid off the roof and toward certain door below. His strong clawed hand managed to grab a hold of the edge and stop his fall before it began. As he reached up with his second hand the slick surface of the Castle roof prevented him from securing a grip, leaving him dangling by only one arm. "NO!"

* * *

The gathered crowed below let out a collective gasp as they watched their King hanging from the edge of the roof.

"He's going to fall!" The green shelled Hammer Bros. shouted. "Bowser's going to fall!"

"Maybe not..." The blue shelled Hammer Bros. offered as he put his hand on his Brother's shoulder. "He might make it back up! Mario wouldn't-"

"Shh!" The green shelled 'shushed' his Brother quickly.

The conversation drew in the curiosity of the other onlookers who began exchanging curious glances and whispering amongst themselves, all while staring to the reformed Hammer Bros.

A red shelled ParaKoopa spoke up. "What're you two talking about? What's going on? I mean, what's _really_ going on?"

* * *

Mario saw the claws digging into the roof top and heard Bowser's panicked roars as the giant reptile held on for dear life. In that moment, for the first time since Bowser had threatened him, Mario felt absolutely nothing. No anger, no hatred, no pain... no sympathy. Walking to the edge of the roof Mario looked down at the desperately clinging fallen King with disgust.

"M-Mario..." Bowser stammered with fear. "P-Please! You gotta' help me! Y-You have to!"

Putting his boot on top of Bowser's claws Mario began applying increasing pressure to Bowser's already taxed fingers. Pound by pound Mario kept adding his own weight on top of Bowser's hand, feeling the muscles in Bowser's fingers quivering against the sole of his boot.

"NO!" Bowser called out, his voice now panic stricken. "PLEASE!"

Looking into Bowser's eyes again Mario could see the fear, he could see the regret in the Koopa Kings eyes, the emotional weight in his soul.

"So, you're not as cold as everyone thinks." Mario commented dryly as he stared down at his helpless opponent. "Luigi isn't pathetic." Mario tagged on, keeping the pressure on Bowser's hand to assure that he still had the vile King's full attention. "Luigi is a hero. He's fought at my side to rescue Princess Peach more times than I can count. He's even saved my life, and he had _no one_ at his side to help him. Twice he's faced his greatest fears and ventured through haunted mansions to rescue me from eternal imprisonment... When I was poisoned and stricken with 'Bean Fever' he traveled through a foreign land full of dangers to find the cure..." Mario applied more pressure to Bowser's hand as the heart wrenching memories filled his mind. "And I know that whenever I need him _he'll_ be there _for me_."

Taking a knee so he could look Bowser dead in the eye, Mario grabbed onto the black spiked collar around Bowser's neck. "Luigi is the bravest person we'll ever know." Mario finally took his boot from Bowser's hand as he pulled the Koopa back up over the edge of the roof by the collar. "It's an honor to be compared to him, my little _Brother_. And right now, in this moment, if I killed you..." Mario turned his back to the whimpering Koopa and began walking down the roof. "...and Luigi died... then I'd be just like you." Mario glanced over his shoulder at Bowser who was slowly getting back up to his feet. "I'm _nothing_ like you. But I'm _everything_ like my Brother, at least... I _hope_ I am."

Overhead the storm began to lessen in its strength, the rain slowing and wind calming. The thunder became quieter and more distant while the flashes of lightning seemed to stop entirely.

"It's over..." Mario decided as he made his way across the roof. The pain in his heart had begun to fade as the realization of how much he cared for his Brother helped to ease the anger and hatred that fueled the pain to begin with. "Luigi, I'm coming back." Looking down at his even dirtier, blood stained gloves Mario clenched his hands into fists and let his arms fall to his side. "Forgive me for my bloodlust. Revenge isn't your style, now I know why."

As Mario reached the edge of the roof he felt a searing pain in his back and saw flashes of light as Bowser's sharp laws dug into his turned back. Falling to his knees in shock and pain, Mario's blue eyes widened as the sound of Bowser's growling filled his ears.

"FOOL." Bowser angrily roared as his picked Mario up by the back collar of his torn red shirt. Mario's limp body turned in mid-air and stopped when he was now face to face with the ruthless Koopa. "NO ONE BEATS KING BOWSER." Bowser pulled Mario in closer to his own face. "No one!"

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	9. Down

With trembling hands Mario wrapped a weak grip around Bowser's large, powerful hand as the Koopa King easily held the red-clad hero off the ground by his shirt collar. Bowser had adjusted his grip so he was holding the front of Mario's shirt instead of the back of the collar so Mario was dangling helplessly from the vile Koopa's hand. Locking eyes with the demented reptile Mario could only wait for the massive Koopa to make his next move. The noxious smell of fresh blood mixed with the cleansing smell of the recent rain created a paradoxical sense of quiet.

Drawing his second arm back to create a giant fist Bowser snarled at the human in his sight. "This will be the LAST time you interfere with my plans!" Using all of his strength Bowser thrust his closed fist into Mario's face and head.

Never blinking Mario held his breath as the incredible impact from the leathery fist struck him hard, sending a shockwave of immense pain through his entire skull. The blow was so powerful that Mario was sent flying backward, his shirt tearing away from Bowser's grip in the process. Flying back through the air Mario could only think of Luigi. The image of Luigi's bruised face flashed through his mind knowing that Luigi had also felt the painful wrath of Bowser's fierce punches.

Landing hard on his back, landing on the three fresh gashes that marred his upper back and shoulders, Mario helplessly slid a few yards across the slick stone rooftop. Coming to a slow stop on the hard roof Mario felt every stinging sensation of his raw wounds scraping over the stone surface, every drop of cold water soaking through his shirt and into the bleeding cuts.

Turning from his back and onto his side Mario attempted to take in a deep breath to stave off the relentless pain that threatened to leave him a defeated shell of a former hero.

Stomping footsteps shook the entire Castle. "Is that all you got?" Bowser asked arrogantly as he heavily marched across the roof after Mario. "One punch and you're down? It took almost twenty before your _Brother_ passed out."

Using his arms to push himself all the way over and onto his stomach Mario weakly pushed himself back up from the roof and onto his knees. "Like I said..." Mario defiantly quipped. "Luigi is the bravest person we'll ever know. And he still never _whined_ as much as you do!"

Bowser was losing his patience as he belched a wave of intense fire at Mario, who still had his back turned toward the Koopa King.

Feeling the incoming heat and seeing the bright glow of the hastily approaching flames Mario found the strength and speed necessary to sidestep the attack. Narrowly avoiding the cheap shot Mario turned and glared at the sneaky Koopa.

"You can't dodge 'em all!" Bowser boasted as he took in a deep breath ready to exhale another blast of fire.

Mario began running from the attack, the tightening pain in his chest preventing him from running at full speed, and ducked behind a stone Koopa theme gargoyle statue that adorned the roof top. Small embers from the evaded attack rained down from over the top of the statue toward Mario's head and even more blared from around the statue's side, trapping Mario in a frame of orange fire.

"I can't fight him..." Mario admitted to himself. "Not like this." Leaning tiredly against the statue Mario looked up and toward the dissipating storm clouds as he became lost in thought. "What should I do? What would Luigi do?"

Like an answer from the Heavens above a singular flash of lightning lit up the dark clouds. The bolt of pure electricity struck dangerously close to a metal spire at the very top of Bowser's Castle. The surge of passing lightning bolt was enough to cause the affected metal glow blue as the energy passed through and heated up the surface.

"That's it." Mario's next idea quickly forming in his mind. "I _can_ do it!"

As soon as the embers finished falling and cooled Mario dashed away from his cover as quickly as he could force his body to move. Using the slick surface to slide at a faster pace Mario reached the edge of the roof and focused on the Tower that he had initially leapt from to get the man rooftop before the battle. Dwindling strength and growing pain hindered his movements but even the searing pain in his back wasn't enough to deter him.

"Jump!" Bowser roared as he suddenly began charging at Mario with his claws outstretched. "I dare you!"

Refusing to show any sign of fear, just as Luigi had done, Mario merely scoffed at Bowser's childish demand as he jumped from the edge of the roof to the side of the Tower. Using both hands to grip the rain soaked structure, Mario dug the heels of his boots into the weather worn surface. "Made it..." Mario huffed as he carefully began climbing up the cylindrical Tower wall and to the cone shaped peak high above.

Bowser came to an abrupt halt as he reached the edge of the roof where Mario once stood. "What! He made it?!" Even as Mario hastily ascended the Tower away from the raging Koopa Bowser could still clearly see the devastating wounds in Mario's back. "He may be able to climb, but he can't run!"

Looking down at the stationary Koopa Mario knew that in order for his plan to succeed Bowser needed to follow him to the roof of the Tower. "You call us pathetic," Mario taunted in shallow breaths. "but _you're the one just standing around_ while we keep going on with broken bones and bleeding flesh!"

Focusing his attention on the peak of the Tower where Mario was aiming Bowser took two steps back before running and jumping from the roof to the opposite end of the Tower and began climbing up its side. "You're dead!" Bowser angrily threatened as he swiftly clawed his way up the side of the Tower and to the roof at a quicker speed than Mario.

"Good, that's what I want..." Mario hoarsely commented to himself as his shaking hands struggled to find new grips during the climb. "Keep going."

Pulling himself to the peak of the Tower Bowser wrapped his strong hand around the metal rod that topped the peak to act as a lightning rod. Opening his mouth wide Bowser sprayed another wave of fire in all directions in an attempt to slow, injure or directly kill Mario as he struggled to complete his climb.

Using one hand Mario gripped the lowest portion of the cone peak and pulled himself upward by one arm. Peering up over the edge Mario gazed up at the seemingly triumphant Koopa standing atop the Tower.

"Say goodbye, Mario." Bowser snarled as he pointed a single clawed finger at the dangling hero. "Better yet, save it until your worthless Brother finally keels over! He's the only one who cares!"

Glaring with renewed anger Mario pointed his free hand at the metal rod in Bowser's grip and fired one last potent fireball at the intended target. The fireball Mario had managed to conjure was bright orange with flashes of white and blue flames coursing through the orb of pure energy in his palm. As the fireball soared from Mario's hand toward Bowser's the dark Tower was set a glow with the natural and vivid colors of the fire.

The flames alone would never damage Bowser's thick, scaly hide but the scorching metal would!

"GAH!" Bowser roared out in surprised pain as the unexpected pain cut through the palm of his hand and all through his fingers.

Unable to maintain a grip on the metal rod Bowser slid off the peak of the Tower and toward the unbreakable ground far below. Desperately Bowser swung both of his hands toward the metal rod to try and re-secure his grasp, but the slick rooftop assured that no one was going to stay at the peak for long.

"NO!" Bowser cried out with anguished defeat as his hulking form completely slid off of the Tower peak and began plummeting to the unseen, dark Castle Grounds too far below.

Mario, tired and weak, felt a twinge of relief knowing that Bowser was down. He'd likely survive the fall seeing as the Koopa King could survive lava and has taken great falls before, but if in this instance Bowser down permanently Mario wouldn't shed a tear. The tyrannical predator had caused chaos, uprooted entire villages, devastated communities and torn apart families for decades. Now, it was over.

"Luigi... I did it." Mario whispered as his own grip fell away from the roof. "Forgive me."

Just as Bowser before him couldn't maintain a grip on the slippery surface of the Tower, Mario too began sliding down and away from the peak. As he fell Mario watched the clouds above begin to part revealing a handful of bright white stars against the perpetually black night sky. A sense of peace overwhelmed his senses as he fell downward, seemingly forever.

Mario closed his eyes just as his body made contact with a flat surface of cold stone. The pain from his still bleeding wounds shot through his entire body like he was on fire, causing him to twist and writhe in agony on the wet surface. At a loss for words Mario merely groaned in pain as he patiently waited for the numbing coldness of the rain to ease the massive discomfort that nearly stole his breath.

Laying in a cold puddle of collected rain on the rooftop Mario could feel the warmth of his own escaping blood collected in the same puddle beneath his prone form. Clear liquid soon turned crimson as the pooling blood streamed freely from the opened, gaping wounds.

"Is this how I die?" Mario asked himself with a new ache in heart as he stared at the small patch of eternally burning stars above. "Alone? In Bowser's Castle?"

A flash of lightning in the far distance of the diminishing storm, now miles away, made Mario think of Luigi.

"No," he retorted as he began fumbling through the pocket of his overalls. Pulling out the old family photo he had taken with him when he found his home in shambles, Mario looked at one last time. The image of Luigi and himself as innocent young children playing. Together. "not alone." His tear filled eyes closed again. "Never alone..."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	10. Fighting

A horrid chill set upon Mario as he laid vulnerable, bleeding on the roof of Bowser's Castle. The storm had long since passed but the cold rain that it had brought with it still remained in the form is many icy puddles throughout the entirety of the Dark Land. The coldness was almost soothing to the raw gashes on his back and shoulders, it tempted Mario to drift off to sleep as his dwindling strength quickly left his battered body.

Mario held tightly to the photo in his hands, even as sleep overcame his consciousness. "Luigi, Bro, take care of yourself. I don't think I'm going to..." Unable to focus his thoughts Mario drifted off to a much needed sleep.

The red-clad hero laid helpless and weak on top of the roof of Bowser's Castle. Alone.

* * *

The early morning hours were unusually tense in the hospital as the medical staff tended to their 'star patient'. Princess Daisy had long since fallen asleep beside Luigi and Toadsworth had taken the liberty of draping a blanket over her sleep form. When it was time for Dr. Toadley to check in with Luigi the compassionate Ward escorted Daisy into the corridor and kept her company.

"Alright, let's see how he does." Dr. Toadley had take Luigi off the respirator and was now keeping a close eye on his unconscious patient.

"Yes, doctor." The Toad nurse was checking Luigi's vitals while Dr. Toadley monitored Luigi's breathing.

"Come on." Dr. Toadley had pressed his stethoscope to Luigi's bandaged chest an listened carefully. "Take a breath. Just one- There! That's good! He's breathing on his own again."

The Toad nurse nodded happily. "Shall I tell the others?"

"Yes, yes." Dr. Toadley acknowledged. " But keep him on oxygen, at least for now. I think Luigi here is on the road to recovery."

Through the corridor window Daisy and Toadsworth watched anxiously. When they saw the optimistic look flash across Dr. Toadley's face they both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Luigi!" Daisy smiled warmly. "You're still fighting!"

Toadsworth nodded in approval. "One Brother is faring well, but the other is still missing. Where could have Master Mario gone?"

Princess Peach was walking down the corridor when Toadsworth spoke up. As she overheard his remark she felt her skip a beat. "There's still no sign of Mario?"

Flinching slightly at his own tactless reaction as he turned toward the always lovely Princess. "Unfortunately my dear, no. Nor have I seen our reformed Hammer Bros."

"Oh," Peach joined Daisy at the window and watched the doctor and nurse finish the exam on Luigi. "I hope Mario is alright." She bowed her head sadly. "If anything happens to him, I don't know if Luigi could take it. I don't think _I_ could take it..."

Daisy felt the incredibly sadness welling up in Peach's voice and took her hand. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

* * *

The sense of someone or something approaching managed to rouse Mario from his sleep. Too weak to move, too anguished to even try to fight back Mario just waited for whatever it was to finally, mercifully finish him off.

Whatever that had closed in on him had stopped near his shoulders. Two strong hands wrapped around his upper arms and pulled him forward. A second pair of hands took hold of his other arm and help pull him into a sitting position. As he sat up he tightened his otherwise lessening grip on the photo, determined to never let it go.

"Mario?" A familiar voice asked. "Are you still with us?"

Slowly opening his eyes Mario's blurry vision focused on the face of the two Hammer Bros. "You guys... Why are you here?"

"Well," blue shell answered somewhat nervously. "we saw you fighting Bowser. And we saw you save him, despite everything he did to you and to your Brother."

Green shell continued the explanation. "We also saw Bowser's cheap shot and decided that enough is enough." He motioned with his eyes for his Brother to look at the nasty injuries that marred Mario's shoulders and upper back.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Mario asked with a heavy and groggy tone. " _Enough_?"

"Yeah. Not only are we making it official as Toad Town citizens, but the rest of Bowser's army is going to head back to their homes, too."

Blue shell nodded to his Brother., acknowledging the severe wounds. "So we're here to make sure you get back to the Mushroom Kingdom in one piece."

The two Hammer Bros. pulled Mario up to his feet and then wrapped his arms around their shoulders. Letting the exhausted hero rest his full weight against them the two reformed Koopas helped Mario limp across the roof and into the hatch leading to the interior of Bowser's Castle.

"It's a long hike," green shell lamented. "but it's worth it. We want to start our new lives off right!"

"Besides," blue shell tagged on as the eclectic trio descended the spiral stone staircase. "it's alot easier to travel through the Dark Lands in a group instead of alone!"

"Alone..." Mario repeated as he glanced at the photo in his hand. "Yeah. You're right. No one should be alone..."

* * *

Daisy sat beside Luigi's bed and kept her hand on top of his. The thick bandages that secured his injured wrists prevented her from holding his hand, but it wasn't enough to keep her away from his side.

She studied Luigi's bruised face with curiosity and worry. His left eye was still swollen and bandaged, and the other bruises that discolored his face seemed painfully tender. Without the respirator obstructing his face Daisy was now able to see the full extent of the damage caused by Bowser's cruel hands.

"How I wish I knew what you were dreaming about." She sighed as she gently ran her fingers through Luigi's hair. "Running through the Mushroom Kingdom? Have parties at Peach's Castle? Returning home to... where was it again? Brooklyn?" Without another word she turned to the large window and pulled open the curtains by the pull. The sun was beginning to rise and brighten the other wise storm dreary Kingdom. "As long as you wake up we can go anywhere you want!"

Peach walked into the room and stood beside Luigi's bed. ' _I know he and Mario are twins, but do they have to look so much alike?'_ She thought to herself. "Has he still not woken up?" She then asked Daisy quietly, as if she could somehow disturb Luigi from his slumber.

"Not yet." Daisy answered almost as quietly. "I wonder if Mario could wake him up? I mean, since they're Brothers maybe Luigi would respond better to Mario's voice than anyone else here."

Peach nodded. "Maybe. But no one has seen Mario since late last evening."

Daisy could see the dread in Peach's eyes. "I'm sure Mario will be back soon. He was pretty upset, after all. He probably just went somewhere to blow off some steam."

Sighing Peach looked out the large window to toward the oncoming dawn. "That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

The rising sun was the only light in the otherwise black territory of the Dark Lands. White sun rays reflected off the evaporating puddles and dew drops on the stone riddled ground. The smell of fresh, dampened earth was nearly intoxicating.

"Almost there." Blue shell commented as he and his Brother helped Mario ascend the craggy hill to the border between the Dark Lands and the Mushroom Kingdom. "You still with us?"

Mario was losing his strength fast. It took every ounce of energy he had just to walk out of the Castle _with_ assistance. As soon as they began crossing the barren terrain he couldn't keep his head up any longer. Fatigue had set in and it wasn't going anywhere.

"Y-yeah." Mario lied as he opened his eyes and look at the Mushroom Kingdom in the distance. "I'm still here."

"Good." Green shell replied as he adjusted Mario's arm around his shoulders. "Don't give up now."

"I'm... I'm going to keep moving..." Mario hoarsely declared. "Going to... keep fighting."

The two Hammer Bros. exchanged concerned glances before blue shell spoke up again. "Mario? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Fine." His answer was sharp and defensive. "Let's keep moving. We have to... to..." Mario's body went limp as he finally lost consciousness and fell to his knees.

"Whoa!" The two Koopas managed to keep Mario from falling over entirely and injuring himself further. "We got you! Just hold on! You gotta' keep fighting, man! Keep fighting!"

In a half-conscious daze Mario focused on the echoing, distance words of his Koopa allies. " _Keep_... _fighting_..."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	11. Return

Everything was a spinning, distant blue for Mario as he felt his body becoming heaver and weaker with each beat of his pounding heart. Motion turned his stomach as he felt himself being half carried, half dragged through the Mushroom Kingdom to safety. As his feet dragged against the ground his boots left deep gouges in the soft dirt, caking his boots and legs in mud, The smell of fresh earth mixed with his own blood was the only sensation that kept his mind in reality as his consciousness struggled to maintain control.

Voices, familiar voices, were but a whisper as they continued to speak to Mario. Words of encouragement and hope were barely audible, let alone understood by the battle worn hero.

"Just a little farther!" The blue shelled Hammer Bros. announced as he and his Brother carried Mario through the stone laden streets of the humble Toad Town. "We'll get you to the hospital!"

Green shell was watching Mario's head droop lower and lower as his strength faded. "We better hurry, I don't think he can wait any longer!"

The rising sun that had broken across the sky, bathing the slumbering Kingdom in a warm amber glow, revealed the brutality of Bowser's assault. Time was of the essence...

"Yeah!" blue shelled agreed and picked up his pace. "Let's move!"

* * *

Unable to contain her concern Princess Peach had excused herself from Luigi's room to pace about the waiting room. With both Princess Daisy and Toadsworth keeping ever vigil over the downed hero Peach knew that her absence wouldn't be a factor. As much as she cared for Luigi, seeing him as a protective Brother and guardian over her Kingdom, she just couldn't take her mind off Mario.

"Where could he be?" She asked herself quietly as she strolled back across the expansive and nearly empty waiting room for the umpteenth time. "It's not like Mario to just disappear, let alone leave Luigi by himself when he's so... so..." She suddenly stopped in her tracks and stifled a long suppressed sob. "I just can't stand the thought of losing either one of them!"

A rush of wind blew through the waiting room as the large doors of the hospital suddenly burst open. Turning toward the doors Peach saw a sight that left her speechless.

"Hey!" The blue shelled Hammer Brother called out. "We need some help here!"

Peach walked toward the beaten and bleeding hero who had been carried into the E.R. by the reformed Koopas. "M-Mario?" She could barely recognize him beneath all the blood and the thick mud that covered. "Mario!" She put her hand to the side of his face and patted gently. "Please look at me."

"Please, step aside!" Dr. Toadley order as he and a Toad nurse made their way toward Mario. "We need a gurney!" He pressed his fingers against the side of Mario's neck. "We're going to need to move, people!"

As a group of nurses, following Dr. Toadley's lead, lifted Mario away from the ground and out of the grip of the two helpful Hammer Bros. and onto the awaiting gurney a hush fell over the room. Without another word Mario was wheeled out sight and into a treatment room. The photograph that had been held in Mario's tight grasp had fallen to the floor as his strength finally gave out.

"Mario..." Peach's raw, emotional tone was palpable in the somber room. She picked up the photograph and teared up at the sight of the two innocent babies playing together. "Not you, too."

"Princess..." The blue shelled Brother removed his helmet and faced the worried royal. "please don't be worried and please don't be upset."

"Upset?" She turned to the humbled Koopa was a look of confusion plastered over her face. "Upset about what? Mario being injured? Or upset about what Mario had done to become injured?"

Gulping nervously green shell mirrored his Brother and removed his helmet. "It's not like that. Please, sit down. We'll tell you everything that happened to Mario."

* * *

Peace enveloped Mario as he found himself suddenly drifting the waves between wake and sleep. Here there was no pain, no cold, no sorrow. There was no feeling of regret or guilt weighing against his heart or clouding his mind. Calm. Quiet. Serenity. The desire to never return to the world of the conscious but the refusal to slumber eternally kept Mario from losing himself entirely.

As Mario rested in his blissful isolation the familiar warm touch of a hand over his own brought with it a dull ache.

"...ario..." A voice called to him. A voice so distant he couldn't help but wonder if he had imagined it.

' _Not now. I don't want to leave_.'

"Wa... up." The same voice calling out to him. But why?

"Please... ... up." The voice was soothing and gentle. "Mario..."

The pain began to intensify as the voice became louder, closer.

' _No! No more pain!_ ' Mario thought to himself. ' _Enough_...'

"I need you... .. ... up."

' _Needs me?_ '

"And .. does Luigi."

' _Luigi!_ ' Mario suddenly remembered Luigi as if the source of his pain stemmed from his Brother. ' _Luigi, you still need me? And Peach!_ '

In a sudden bright flash Mario had unknowingly opened his eyes rousing himself from his slumber. As his mind and body returned to the land of consciousness the searing pain shot through his body, causing his battered form to tense and his stomach to lurch.

"Mario!" Peach had her hand wrapped around his. "It's okay, just relax!"

Sitting upright in a rigid, strenuous manner Mario leaned over the side of the bed he had been placed on and lost the contents of his stomach all over the floor.

Dr. Toadley was in the room within seconds of hearing Peach's voice attempting to calm the injured hero. "We need a nurse in here." He put one hand on Mario's back and other on Mario's forehead to support the sick man until the vomiting stopped. "It's alright," the seasoned doctor reassured both his patient and the Princess. "nausea is a common side effect of anesthesia and some pain killers. This was expected."

With the assistance of the unphased doctor Mario was guided back to the bed, careful of the bandages around his shoulders and upper back, to let his body finally rest.

"That's it. Just take it easy." Dr. Toadley picked up Mario's wrist to check his pulse. "You're going to be just fine. You were a little dehydrated from the blood loss and running a slight fever due a building infection in your wounds, but you've already made great strides in your recovery."

Wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand, ignoring the tissue offered to him by the nurse who responded to Dr. Toadley, Mario grimaced at the foul taste that lingered. "Luigi? How is he?" He flinched internally at how pitiful his voice sounded in that moment and wanted so desperately to find a more confident tone.

"Luigi is holding his own." Dr. Toadley answered as he took a step to the side. "See for yourself."

Looking past Dr. Toadley Mario saw Luigi sleeping in the bed only a few yard from his own. Daisy was sound asleep in the chair next to Luigi, too tired to be woken by the excitement. "Weeg..." The unconscious hero looked much better than when Mario had seen him last. Not only was off the respirator but his complexion was healthier and the massive bruise over his eye had already begun to heal.

"Now," Dr. Toadley waited for the nurse to finish cleaning the mess on the floor before taking his leave. "you must rest if you wish to make a proper recovery. Your Brother is with you and we won't move either of you from this room. Try to get some sleep, I'll check on you both in the morning."

"Morning?" Mario repeated as the doctor and nurse left the room. "Wasn't the sun rising when I... When... How did I get here?"

"You've been unconscious all day." Peach squeezed his hand. "The Hammer Bros. carried you here. They saved your life." She lowered her gaze and took a breath. "They also told me about what happened between you and Bowser."

Mario turned away from Peach with self-loathing. "I... I wish I could tell you they were... wrong."

"They told me everything." She continued. "How you battled with him and how you... _saved_ him."

"Huh?" Mario turned back to her. "Saved him?"

"They told me how you pulled him back up onto the roof. They also told me how even after you showed him mercy he attacked you."

Mario looked past Peach and toward Luigi. "What... What else did they tell you?"

"That you had to defend yourself." Peach put her hand under his chin and turned his head until his gaze met her own. "And that you defeated him, without killing him."

"What?" Mario didn't understand. "But... he fell..."

"And landed shell first in the mud."

Mario still didn't understand.

"The soft landing didn't kill him, but it will keep him from attacking any time soon. Besides, without his army to do his bidding Bowser is no longer a threat."

"No... army?"

Peach smiled a little. "The Hammer Bros. told the rest of Bowser's army what was going on and they decided to leave as well. I guess you inspired them to move on."

Mario shook his head disapprovingly as he draped his free arm over his eyes. "I inspired nothing but _hatred_ and _violence_."

"Not true." Peach disagreed but replied with a firm but loving inflection. "You inspired a bunch of minions to return to their homes, to their families and to rebuild their lives outside of the Dark Lands. Luigi would be proud of you!" She took the family photograph she had picked up from the floor from the nearby drawer and held it out for Mario to see. "You're Brothers and nothing will ever change that."

Mario lifted his arm to look at Peach with tears in his eyes, unwilling to look at the cherished photo. "He shouldn't be. I've failed him as a Brother." He dropped his arm back over his eyes. "I broke my promise. I let him down..."

"What do you mean?" Peach pulled his arm away from his eyes so she could look at his saddened face. "Mario, what promise? What're you talking about?"

Turning his head so he could look at Luigi, Mario sighed wearily. "There's something about Luigi you should know..."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	12. Repose

The room was dimly lit and quiet during the long, dreary night. Mario, who was recovering from his injuries struggled to sit upright in his hospital bed. With assistance from Peach a few pillows the weary hero was able to sit up straight and lean against the soft, thick pillows comfortably. The white bandages around his shoulders and upper back matched the fabric of the pillows and for a moment the sight of his brutal wounds had nearly vanished. Taking a deep, pained breath Mario mentally prepared himself to confide long unspoken memories from his and Luigi's past.

With a trembling hand he motioned for the photo in Peach's hand. She nodded with curiosity and handed over the requested item. Taking the family photograph from Peach Mario unfolded a concealed second half of the image, revealing two additional people in the background of the picture.

Mario gave Peach a solemn look as he gingerly offered the unfolded photo for her to take and examine for herself. A man and a woman, standing side by side behind the two babies, smiled warmly and lovingly as the two playing Brothers. The man, who was of a shorter stature like Mario, had a thick mustache like Luigi's, black hair and bright blue eyes. The woman, who was of taller stature like Luigi, had slightly wavy hair like Mario, was a brunette and also had bright blue eyes.

Peach instantly spied the strong family resemblances between the four occupants in the image and stared at Mario with a mixture of joy and confusion. "Mario, is this couple...?"

"Our parents." Mario confirmed her suspicions as he took back the photograph and looked longingly at the family on display. "Yeah. Our father and mother."

"I'm not sure I understand. Mario, what happened to your family? What happened to _Luigi_?"

"You see," Mario began nervously, his eye drifting from Peach and over to Luigi for a moment. "Luigi wasn't always so cautious, or arguably timid. In fact, he was considered reckless and stubborn."

"Luigi?" Peach glanced over her shoulder to his unconscious form in the neighboring bed. "I can't imagine him as anything but gentle and kind; never reckless." Squeezing Mario's hand in a loving, supportive manner she encouraged him to continue his story. "What happened to him then, that made him who is today?"

"It's... It's not something either of us want to talk about, so when I tell you this you must keep it quiet. I... I don't want him to feel like I betrayed him or failed-"

"You _never_ failed him." Peach insisted. "You can't keep blaming yourself for something Bowser did."

Mario glanced back to Luigi before resuming his story. "Yeah, I guess so. Well, anyway, when we were kids and growing up in Brooklyn it was always Luigi who was fearless and first to try anything and everything new." Mario briefly smiled at the distant childhood memories, only to frown again as he continued. "We played for hours in the park and Luigi was always the one who climbed the highest tree. When we spent summers at the beach it was Luigi who always swam out the farthest. During wintertime Luigi was the one sliding down the tallest hills. And it was always Luigi who was the last to come back inside at the end of the day. But he never left me behind. He always encouraged me to climb the same tree, but if I didn't want to he'd climb back down and we'd find a new tree to climb. If I didn't want to swim out too deep he'd came back closer to shore. If I was too afraid to slide down a hill by myself he'd go with me. And he never left me outside alone in the dark. He never left anyone behind..."

Peach smiled and tried to imagine Luigi being a fearless, carefree child. "Sounds like he was a fun, great kid!"

"Yeah." Mario winced in pain for a moment but pushed through it to finish his story. "He was. And he always looked out for me." Closing his eyes and stifling a sob Mario nearly lost his composure and choked on his sorrow.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Peach tried to soothe the emotionally ravaged hero but it seemed her words and presence weren't enough. "You're safe!" She used her hand to rub the back of his hand and forearm. "You're _both_ safe."

"Sorry..." Mario weakly apologized as he regained control over his senses and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Peach shook her head slowly. "Don't ever apologize for feeling bad, it's part of life."

"Yeah." Mario agreed as he used his free hand to wipe his guilt filled eyes before the tears had a chance to fall. "You're right." Pausing to gather his thoughts Mario found his voice and continued sharing with Peach. "Luigi was always the one who looked out for the neighborhood kids. He hated bullies and would never tolerate anyone trying to intimidate our friends. He always made sure everyone was included in every game we played and that no one felt like an outsider." He looked down at Peach's hand resting atop of his own. "I remember when were six years old and we caught the chicken pox. While mom and pop took care of us like any loving parents would, Luigi made sure I wasn't bored or upset. He kept finding fun things for us to do even when we were stuck inside the house all day."

Peach smiled again and quietly waited for Mario to finish his trip down memory lane.

"Even though I'm the _older_ Brother our parents never expected me to take on additional responsibility for Luigi. We were treated like equals and never saw one another as the 'Big Brother' and 'Little Brother' when we were kids." Mario's hand tensed under Peach's hand as a darker memory came to the front of his mind and rested in his heart. "But that all changed when we were fifteen..."

Peach's smile faded as she saw the pain in Mario's eyes flare. Tightening her squeeze she braced herself for the emotional weight that Mario was trying carry alone. "Go on."

"Our parents were returning home from a private dinner, kind of like a second honeymoon, when..." Mario turned his attention to the ceiling as the grief struck him as if it the accident had happened just that morning. "they were hit and killed by a drunk driver."

Peach felt her heart skip a beat and wordlessly wrapped both of her arms around Mario's neck to hug him. She ran her hand over the back of his head, rustling his hair softly.

Leaning into her hug Mario closed his eyes and finished the sad tale. "We were home alone, wondering why mom and pop were taking so long to get back home. A police officer came to our house and he told us what happened..." Mario looked at Luigi past Peach's shoulder. "At first we didn't believe, we were certain there was some kind of mistake but, it was true. Luigi took it really hard. I guess he figured our parents were invincible, you know? That they'd live forever..."

Peach sat back in her chair and wiped her own tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea..."

Mario never took his eyes from Luigi. "Luigi just sort of... Shut down. He never said a word to me or anyone else for weeks! He topped playing sports, hanging out after school, socializing with the other neighborhood kids... He locked himself away and kept everything inside." Bowing his head in memory Mario took a breath. "After the funeral we went to live with a family friend for a few years. Good guy. He and his wife were good friends with our parents and their own son was grown and out of the house. They took us in and never made us feel unwelcome. But Luigi wanted to leave as soon as we could afford an apartment of our own. I'm not sure why he wanted to leave so badly, but I didn't stop him."

"How... How did he cope with our horrible loss?"

"He didn't. At least, at first. After we moved into our own place and started to fend for ourselves he finally broke down and let out all the pain he had been carrying. I've never seen him cry so hard or for so long in my life! He cried all night and slept for almost three days."

"Poor Luigi..." Peach looked at the peacefully sleeping hero in the next bed, Daisy resting her hand over his. "The loss of your parents shook him to his core. Changed him."

"Only on the outside." Mario butted in. "Inside he's still the same fearless Brother I've always known. But the blunt truth that death can take down even the strongest of fighters..." Mario sighed weakly. "It was a truth he refused to believe, until it happened to us."

"That's when you made your promise..."

"I promised him, while I held him in my arms as he cried; mourning the loss of our parents, that I'd always look out for him and protect him. That I'd never let anything bad happen to him as long as I was still alive."

"Mario..." Peach didn't know what else to say. "Luigi is still alive! He's pulled through and hasn't shown any sign of giving up."

Mario shook his head sadly as he placed the photo on top of the table next to his bed. "I'm not worried about his body healing, I'm worried about his heart. His fighting spirit hasn't been the same since our parents died." Leaning back against his pillows Mario let a solitary tear fall from his eye. "I'm worried that Luigi will never be the same, that he'll close himself entirely and I'll never be able to reach him..."

A hush fell over the room as the dark truths filled the air. Secrets, truths and pain were tangible to anyone and everyone who was fortunate enough to ally with the Super Mario Bros. on that fateful night.

* * *

The night itself was calm in the Mushroom Kingdom. Tired and emotionally taxed Peach soon fell asleep in the chair next to Mario's bed, her hand resting on his while he stayed wide awake in his bed. He couldn't stop thinking about Luigi and the promise he had made all those years ago. Careful not to awaken Peach Mario swung his legs over the side of the bed and put his bare feet on the cold, tile floor.

With his injuries being located on his shoulders and upper back the doctor had chosen to give Mario a pair of scrub bottoms to wear in place of the traditional hospital gown.

Quietly Mario stood up, mindful of the I.V. hooked into his arm. Wincing with the burning pain in his back and draped the blue blanket from the foot of his bed over Peach's sleeping form. "Thank you for listening."

Wheeling the I.V. stand around the bed he took a seat in a second chair on the other side of Luigi's bed. Drained of strength; both physically and mentally, Mario weakly put his cold hand against his Brother's warmer face and softly apologized. "I'm so sorry Bro, please forgive me."

Fatigue won out as Mario laid his head down on the bed, next to Luigi's arm and fell asleep in the chair beside his unconscious younger Brother.

The sun rose once more. The intense rays of the sun filled the room with a natural warmth that failed to ease the icy emotional tension that lingered from the night before. As the light of the rising sun crept through the window and across the floor Mario was steadily roused from his deep and much needed slumber. It seemed neither Peach or Daisy stirred from their sleep.

Mario steadily became aware of someone moving next to him and felt a hand on the back of his head, lightly playing with his hair. Opening his heavy eyes he looked up at Luigi and his eyes widened as he began sobbing uncontrollably into his own hands.

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	13. Peace

Weeping tears of sorrow, regret, guilt and joy into his hands, Mario's body began shaking with the powerful sobs of his suppressed emotions. Unable to speak or move from his spot beside Luigi's bed all the hero could do was continue to cry and feel every wave of his emotional pain washing over his broken body. The soft sounds of crying roused Peach from her sleep. Looking over to the source of the sound she spied Mario breaking down and looking completely hurt. Her compassionate nature prevented the kind Princess from sitting idle while her dearest friend was enduring such self-induced turmoil.

"Mario!" Peach tossed the blanket from her form and onto Mario's vacated bed as she rushed to his side. "Mario, what's wrong?"

Daisy, who had been sleeping in the chair on the opposite side of Luigi's bed, had been woken by the emotional ruckus as well. "Huh? What's going... L-Luigi?!" She put her hands on Luigi's chest and the side of his face. "Luigi, can you hear me?"

Peach, who had been solely focused on Mario, was drawn to Daisy's words and to Luigi in the bed. "Daisy, what's-"

"Luigi" Daisy called his name again. "Look at me!"

Peach's eyes widened as she saw Luigi's eye begin to flutter lightly as Daisy's hand gently stroked his cheek. "Luigi? You're..." It was then she saw that Luigi's hand was resting lightly around Mario's shoulder. "That's it Luigi, wake up!"

Mario's emotional outburst had been the response to Luigi's touch. The unconscious man was aware of the room and of those who were watching over him. Using what little strength he had regained while unconscious for the past four days, Luigi managed to lift his hand and put it on the back of Mario's sleeping head and rustle his hair as a sign of affection and awareness. When Mario looked up his hand had fallen to Mario's shoulder and stayed firm.

"C'mon Bro," Mario encouraged, his outburst now quelled. "wake up! You can do it!"

Slowly, weakly, Luigi partially opened his unblackened eye and stared blankly at the ceiling overhead.

Mario reached for Luigi's hand on his shoulder and wrapped his own hand around Luigi's fingers. "Luigi, Bro, you with us?"

Blinking once Luigi continued his blank stare into nothingness, the simple motion of blinking was enough to aggravate the fractured orbit in his other eye. The heavy, thick bandages that were wrapped around his chest gave him an odd sense of warmth and comfort, even as the pain in his chest told him that comfort was far from likely. A growing pain in both of his hands, his knee and in his shoulders indicated other injuries that only emphasized the severity of his condition.

Daisy leaned over Luigi so he could see her face. "Luigi, do you know where you are?" A tear was forming in her eye as she looked lovingly at the injured man in the bed. "Do you know who I am? We _we_ are?"

Mario and Peach anxiously awaited a response with bated breath. Keeping his grip around Luigi's hand Mario eagerly monitored Luigi's reactions and responses to the people around him.

Luigi's blue eye steadily focused on Daisy's face, the distance haunting his eye faded as a name came into Luigi's mind. "D-Daisy...?" His voice was so weak, so hoarse from the rawness created by the respirator and lack of use that he sounded as if he were whispering through a door as he spoke.

"Yeah..." Daisy confirmed with reserved joy as she continued to use her hand to stroke his cheek. "it's me."

With a slight smile Luigi confirmed that he remembered her and was just as happy to see her as she was to see him. Turning his head slowly he caught sight of Peach standing over Mario, who was hunched down in his chair beside the bed. "P-Princess. Peach." His voice was still pitiful sounding but all things considered no one was going to complain about it.

"I'm here." She replied quietly as she put her hands down on Mario's shoulders and squeezed. "You're safe."

Finally Luigi looked away from Peach to Mario, who was still clutching Luigi's hand as he nervously waited for Luigi to say something, anything to him. Silently Luigi just took in the sight of Mario looking disheveled, shaken and emotionally drained as he sat in his own silence at his side.

"Luigi?" Mario found his voice. "Weege?"

"Who... Who are you?" Luigi asked with a glimmer of familiarity in his eye.

"I-I-I..." Mario stammered with absolute shock. "Bro!?"

Luigi began smirking mischievously as he watched Mario struggling with his own state of confusion. In turn Luigi finally squeezed his fingers around Mario's hand as he eased Mario's worry. "Gotcha'..."

"B-Bro!" Mario saw the look on Luigi's face and felt the grip in his hand and began laughing a little. "That's _not_ funny!"

Daisy and Peach just smiled as the two Brothers were finally reunited after three days of unconsciousness and distance had torn them apart. Mario bowed his head back on the bed and let out a sigh of relief as he continued to laugh at Luigi's unexpected but brilliant jest.

Luigi swallowed once to try and ease the discomfort lingering in his throat. "Wh... What happened?"

Daisy reluctantly answered as she sat on the edge of Luigi's bed. "You were attacked. By Bowser."

A sudden and vivid memory of Bowser breaking into the house flashed through his mind. "I... I remember..."

Peach helped Daisy with the uncomfortable explanation. "But Mario found you and rescued you. You're in the hospital."

Luigi looked to Mario who slowly lifted his head and locked eyes with his Brother. "Luigi... I'm sorry. I... I should've stayed! I should've warned you, I-"

Squeezing Mario's hand tight enough to cause pain Luigi managed to stop Mario from blaming himself any further.

"Ouch!" Mario commented as the pain stopped him mid-sentence.

"Don't-" Luigi flinched as the pain in his throat caught him off guard. Not wanting to strain his voice Luigi looked over at Daisy and with his hand made a gesture like that of a person writing on paper.

Understanding Luigi's request Daisy retrieved the small box that contained Luigi's boots, broken watch and letter. Opening the box she handed the folded letter to Luigi, who weakly took it from her hand.

Luigi struggled to hand the letter to Mario, as his dislocated shoulders weakened his range and fractured wrists weakened his grip. Mario, who was still overwhelmed with self inflicted guilt, sat in morose quiet. "Look."

Mario took the letter and tentatively unfolded it. "You... You got my letter?! My warning?!"

Luigi nodded slowly, his head beginning to hurt as he became more and more awake. "I knew you'd find me."

With those reassuring words Mario felt the incredible weight on his heart lessen. At a loss for words all Mario could do was squeeze Luigi's hand as he began crying again. This time his tears were that of joy and a sense of redemption, not sorrow and guilt.

From the door Dr. Toadley knocked on the door frame and strolled into the room with a smile on his face. "Well, it's about time!" He announced happily. "Glad to see you back among the world of the living my good man."

Luigi looked at the doctor but didn't respond. He was already feeling tired and his throat was beginning to ache on par with his other injuries.

Using a small pen flashlight Dr. Toadley checked Luigi's eye. "Alert, awake and aware." Clicking off the light he used his stethoscope to listen to Luigi's chest. "And no sign of pneumonia developing. Looks like you're on the mend."

"Good gracious, Master Luigi!" Toadsworth was walking into the room with a large bouquet of Boomerang Flowers in a vase resting on top of a white box in his hands. "You've awakened at last!"

The group in the room just smiled at Toadsworth as the seasoned Ward approached the bed.

"It's a relief to see you awake." Toadsworth handed the flowers to Daisy and took the card attached to the vase. "You've received quite a few gifts from many, many well wishers."

Luigi scanned the room quickly and saw all the flowers, balloons and cards that had amassed in the room over the past three days. It seemed the entirety of the Mushroom Kingdom had been touched by the fate of the Super Mario Bros.

"Er-hem," Toadsworth cleared his throat as he prepared the read the newest card. " _'Wishing you well. We wanted to thank you for giving us a second chance at a new, better life. Warm regards, The Hammer Bros._ '"

Mario smiled, knowing that despite all the destruction he had caused in the wake of his personal rage that something positive managed to result from the negativity that had run rampant throughout the Mushroom Kingdom.

Dr. Toadley took control of the room as he saw Luigi struggling to keep awake during all of the excitement. "This is all well and good, but I must ask that you allow Luigi, and Mario for that matter, to rest." He nodded respectfully to the two heroic Brothers. "If everything remains stable and there's no sign of infection, these two shall be permitted to return home."

"Home..." Mario repeated sadly. The memory of returning to their destroyed, crumbling home to search for Luigi stuck in Mario's mind. "Right."

"Maybe you can stay at the Castle!" Peach kissed Mario's cheek as she decided to obey the doctor and take her leave. "I'll see you later, okay? Get some rest." She also took the moment to kiss Luigi's cheek as she walked pass the bed. "And you, it's so wonderful to see you awake! Take care."

Luigi smiled and nodded at the Princess. "I will."

Daisy, who wanted to stay with Luigi, also took her leave; though her reluctance was more obvious. "Luigi, I won't be far. I'll be staying with Peach in her Castle, and I won't return to Sarassaland until you're back on your feet. Okay?"

Again Luigi nodded as the spitfire of a Princess kissed his cheek and slowly walked out of the room.

Toadsworth happily followed the two Princesses out of the room, almost humming as he walked. Stopping suddenly at the door he turned to face the two heroes once more and held out the white box in his hands. "I nearly forgot!" Returning to Luigi's bedside he opened the box and presented the contents for the Brothers to view. "Ta-da!"

Inside the box were Mario and Luigi's caps. they had been washed, mended and restored to their original glory.

"Toadsworth, thank you so much!" Mario picked up the two caps and admired their pristine condition. "They look great!"

Toadsworth nodded as he closed the box and turned to finally take his leave. "It was the least I could do for the bravest heroes who've graced the Mushroom Kingdom. Now, take care boys. We'll see you bright and early on the 'morrow!"

Slipping his red cap back on his head Mario smiled at Luigi. "What do you think?"

"Suits you." Luigi complimented wearily.

"Here." Mario slipped Luigi's cap over his hair and admired how much better the green cap looked now that it had been repaired and returned to its rightful owner. "That's better."

"Thanks, Bro."

Dr. Toadley looked down at his watch and toward Mario. "Alright, back to bed! You must rest as well, Mario."

Standing up beside the bed Mario finally let Luigi's hand go as he lightly patted Luigi's shoulder. "Just one more day."

"Come on." Dr. Toadley helped Mario back to his bed. "Rest." After assisting Mario the good doctor decided that it was safe to leave the two Brothers alone. "I'll check on you later."

Mario laid back against his pillows and sighed. Turning to look at Luigi, who was starting to already drift off to sleep, Mario just smiled and shut his eyes. "Good to have you back, Weege."

"I never left." Luigi responded quietly. "And I never will."

 _ **...to be continued...**_


	14. Home

Elated by the recovery of both Luigi and Mario, both Princess Peach and Princess Daisy announced the joyous news to the concerned denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. The entire Town erupted with cheers of joy and laughter as the news passed through the streets. The heroic Brothers, the protectors of the Mushroom Kingdom and the guardians of light would live to fight another day!

A celebration was held in the streets. The humble and cheerful community banded together to throw a small but meaningful festival in honor of the Super Mario Bros.

Peach and Daisy eagerly awaited for the next morning to show its sunny face. As soon as the sun began to rise the royal duo would be able to check their dearest friends out of the hospital and take them back to their home.

"I wonder how Mario and Luigi will fare on their own?" Peach asked Daisy as they strolled through the streets and passed by the many Toads who were enveloped in their celebration. "They're both injured and will need assistance."

Daisy shook her head. "They'll be fine." She attempted to reassure her worried friend. "If Luigi can handle Bowser's sickening torture and Mario can survive a battle with that brute during a storm, I think they can handle a few weeks of on the sideline."

Peach smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

"Besides," Daisy continued. "they have each other to rely on. They'll be _just fine_!"

"Agreed!" Toadsworth had overheard the conversation as he cut through the cheerful crowd. "I've spoke with Dr. Toadley and he has assured me that Masters Mario and Luigi will make a full, timely recovery. In fact, he's never seen anyone make such a drastic improvement in such little time as Master Luigi."

Peach and Daisy smiled brightly, relieved to know their hope wasn't misplaced.

"I'd also like to inform you that on behalf of the royal family fresh garments have been provided to out heroes to ensure their comfort on the 'morrow."

"Thank you, Toadsworth." Peach nodded respectfully to the Ward. "I just wish they'd accept the offer to stay in the Castle."

"Now, now." Toadsworth casually dismissed the comment. "Our heroes are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. And I'm sure they'd feel more comfortable under the roof of their own home, not a Castle."

Daisy grimaced as an uneasy thought entered her mind. "Their home." She paused in her tracks and put a worried hand to her face. "I'm sure Bowser had left his mark when he attacked Luigi..."

Peach looked toward Daisy as the same uneasiness struck her. "Oh, dear... Do you think-"

"Ah, my dear Princesses, fear not!" Toadsworth gleefully interrupted. "Everything will be taken care of!"

* * *

From their hospital beds Mario and Luigi listened to the celebration taking place in the streets outside the closed window. Laughter and stories were be exchanged amongst the peaceful denizens, while the intoxicating aromas of the feast filled the air. Music rang out in blissful harmony as the Mushroom Kingdom united and took great joy in the impromptu festival.

"Sounds like fun." Mario commented as the celebration continued to unfold. "Wish we could join them."

Luigi, who had awoken from a few hours of sleep, agreed. "I was just thinking the same thing." His voice was stronger, sounding less hoarse and strained as he spoke.

"Wonder what the Princesses are up to?"

"Probably worrying about us."

Mario smirked a little. "Yeah. You're probably right."

Luigi didn't reply, he just listened to the festival and tried to imagine himself walking the streets with the Toads.

"Hey, Luigi?" Mario tentatively returned his attention to his Brother. "When... When Bowser took you..." He paused as the question he was desperate to ask left a foul taste in his mouth. "were you scared?"

Luigi didn't respond immediately. His mind returned to that fateful moment when Bowser crashed through the door of their home with a mighty roar that belched fire. "Scared of what? Bowser? Or..."

"Yeah..."

"Dying." Luigi sighed wearily as he pondered the bleak but interesting question. "Honestly. No."

"No?" Mario was genuinely surprised by the answer.

"No." Luigi confirmed.

"But... how? How could you not be scared? I was!"

Luigi turned his head to look at his Brother in the opposite bed. " _You_? Scared? Why?"

"Because..." Mario swallowed his lingering fear before answering Luigi. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"Mario, Bro," Luigi wanted to ease his Brother's fear. "I wasn't going to go down without a fight. You know that."

"Yeah, I do..."

"And you know I got your warning. I just didn't have the time to properly prepare."

Mario didn't know what to say, he only listened.

"When I couldn't get away from him I knew that I was... I was in trouble." Luigi cleared his throat nervously. "But I also knew that you'd find me. I knew that you'd never let me die in that Dungeon. That's why I was afraid. With you watching my back I never have to be afraid, ever."

Mario closed his eyes as Luigi's words struck him in the heart. "So... You forgive me?"

"Forgive you?! For what?" Luigi nearly shouted in confusion.

"For... For not being there when-"

"Mario! Stop! You can't be everywhere at once!" Luigi impatiently reminded his guilt riddled Brother. "Princess Peach needed you, the entire Mushroom Kingdom needed you, the Beanbean Kingdom needed you, and yeah, I needed you, too. But what _you_ need is to stop putting so much pressure on yourself!"

Mario couldn't help but glance at the family photo on the table next to his bed. Thinking of his parents, thinking of the night they were killed, thinking of Luigi sobbing with incredible pain wrapped in his arms, thinking of the promise he had made to Luigi all those years ago Mario was unable to contain his emotional distress any longer.

"Mario?" Luigi saw Mario beginning to weep as his stress had met its limits. "It's okay. You're going to be okay!" Luigi struggled to sit upright in his bed, his severely injured chest limited his movement. "Believe me, you're going to be okay, I promise!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Mario composed himself and sighed weakly. "You're right. You're right, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Luigi shook his head. "Be patient. Just breathe and try to rest."

Mario stared at the ceiling and let his mind wander.

"We'll be out of here in the morning. Then, as soon as we've recovered, we're going on vacation."

"Good idea..." Mario whispered. "I could use one."

* * *

Dr. Toadley escorted Princess Peach, Princess Daisy and Toadsworth through the hospital to the room where Mario and Luigi were admitted. The festival from the day before had left a positive and upbeat feeling throughout the entire Mushroom Kingdom, making it difficult to sleep. The Princesses were awake and ready to go to the hospital right at dawn. Toadsworth, who was a little sleepy, happily joined the Princesses as they traveled to the hospital.

"Here we are." Dr. Toadley announced as he opened the door to the room. "As you can see our star patients are just as eager to check out as you are."

Luigi was sitting in a wheelchair, the damage to his chest and torso made it nearly impossible for him to stand under his own power. The sprain in his knee only made the effort of standing, let alone walking, a chore. Both of his arms were in slings to aid in the recovery of his dual dislocated shoulders and fractured wrists. His fractured orbit and blackened eye had shown signs of recovery and he was able to partially open his damaged eye to look around at the world around him.

Mario, who was hunched over in pain, was standing behind the wheelchair ready to push his injured Brother outside of the hospital and toward home.

Both Brothers were dressed in the new clothes provided by Toadsworth on behalf of the royal family. They of course were wearing their usual attire of denim overalls and appropriately colored shirts, with brown work boots.

Peach and Daisy approached the heroes happily and greeted them warmly.

"It's so wonderful to know you're on your way home!" Daisy gushed. "Luigi, don't ever leave us like that again!"

Unable to hug Daisy or even touch her hand, he nodded at her and smiled. "I promise!"

Peach put her hand on Mario's face and looked lovingly into his eyes. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." Mario confirmed, despite the burning pain in his shoulders. "Just anxious to leave."

Putting his hands on the wheelchair Mario began wheeling his Brother out of the door and through the corridor. Dr. Toadley held the door open as the small group walked down the corridor toward the exit. A group of Nurses and other Doctors were standing against the walls and watched in silent admiration as the heroes checked out of the hospital. Together.

"Just a moment!" Dr. Toadley stopped the group at the door. "You'll need these." He handed two bottles of medicine to Peach. "There are antibiotics and painkillers. Don't exceed the recommended dosage on the bottles." He nodded in respect. "Take care of each other and don't be strangers, you hear?"

"Thank you, Doctor." Luigi politely acknowledged. "Thank you for everything."

As the group exited the hospital they found a crowd gathered outside, cheering and applauding as the heroes passed through the streets toward home. The warm reception felt all the more welcome after enduring such a horrible event of pain, insecurity and anger. Looking through the crowd Mario noticed several reformed Bowser minions mixed in with the Toads. These minions had been welcomed into the Mushroom Kingdom and given homes to call their own, making them officially denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"I guess everything works out in the end..." Mario said out loud as they neared the green Warp Pipe that connected Toad Town to their house in the secluded clearing just outside the Mushroom Kingdom. "even for those who are lost in the darkness."

Luigi glanced at his Brother over his shoulder as Mario stopped the wheelchair. "Remember Bro, darkness and light can't exist without the other." Luigi let Mario help him stand up as they prepared to awkwardly climb into the Warp Pipe together. "Anyone lost in the dark can easily be blinded by the light."

Mario thought about Luigi's words for a moment as they stood on the edge of the Warp Pipe entrance. "Is that your subtle way of reminding me to not put too much pressure on myself?"

"Did it work?" Luigi asked sheepishly.

"Yeah. But don't ever _stop_ reminding me!"

"You can count on it."

Mario and Luigi slipped down the Warp Pipe together out of sight. Peach, Daisy and Toadsworth followed behind. The Princesses were both hesitant to see the devastation of the Brother's home at the claws of Bowser. Only Mario had seen their home when he had gone searching for Luigi, no one else dared to set foot on the damaged property. Toadsworth, however, seemed more calm about the entire situation.

Sliding through the Warp Pipe the trio rejoined Mario and Luigi who were standing outside their house side by side, staring at the modest building they called their home.

"Wow!" Luigi commented as he stared at the structure in awe. "It looks great!"

Peach, Daisy and Toadsworth all stood beside the Brothers as they too took in the amazing sight.

"But... how?" Mario asked as looked at their restored house, adorned with flowers and cards from the hospital. "It was in ruins when I left!"

"A-hem." A voice casually responded from the side of the house. "We took care of it!" The two Hammer Bros. walked around the house and greeted the group. Blue shell dusted off his hands. "Not bad, huh?"

Green shell looked at the group modestly as he put his hammer back in the sling on his shell. "We just wanted to give you a proper 'thank you' for reminding us of what's really important: Family!"

Mario and Luigi exchanged humbled glances as they thanked the Hammer Bros. for their generosity and hard work.

"Excellent work!" Toadsworth complimented the skilled Koopas and their hammers. "Your Kingdom thanks you for your contribution to your community!"

The Hammer Bros. blushed a little as the received the positive feedback on their handy work. "It was the least we could do!"

Peach and Daisy stood at their heroes sides and hugged them lightly, wrapping their arms around the Brothers' arms with affection and admiration. Granted, Daisy had to hold Luigi's arm more delicately given his condition, but neither of them seem to mind.

Daisy admired the newly rebuilt house as she rested her head softly against Luigi's shoulder. "Welcome home!"

Taking the old family photograph from his pocket, smiling at the image of the loving family, Mario felt at peace for the first time in days. Carefully folding it in half and sliding it into his pocket he nodded to the Hammer Bros. respectfully.

"C'mon Weege," Mario made sure Luigi wasn't going to stumble as they walked together, wrapping his arm around Luigi's waist. "Let's go home..."

 _ **-The End  
**_

 **Author's Note:** Thank you to all of those who read/reviewed/faved/followed this story. I wholeheartedly appreciate any and all feedback and hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please keep reading and writing and inspiring others to do the same!


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